Love, lies and espionage: How a Facebook honeytrap pulled an Ambala man into spying for Pakistan

Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI orchestrated the honeytrap by first gaining the accused's trust through a fake online identity

• Ambala man arrested for leaking military info to Pakistan through honeytrap
• Accused shared sensitive data after being manipulated by fake Facebook profile
• Police recovered chats and calls; investigation ongoing to assess breach scale

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Police in Haryana's Ambala have arrested a 31-year-old man on charges of passing on sensitive information related to the Indian Army and the Air Force to Pakistan after allegedly being honeytrapped online, a CNN-News18 report said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Sunil, is a resident of Sabga village under the jurisdiction of Saha police station. He was apprehended near the Ambala Cantonment bus stand, officials told CNN-News18.

According to investigators cited by CNN-News18, Sunil had been in contact with Pakistani operatives for the past six to seven months through social media platforms.

Police said he was targeted using a fake Facebook profile posing as a woman and was gradually manipulated through emotional bonding, inducements and alleged blackmail.

Sunil was employed by a private contractor and worked as a supervisor on construction projects inside various military units, including the Air Force Station in Ambala. This role gave him frequent access to sensitive areas, CNN-News18 reported.

Taking advantage of this access, he allegedly shared confidential information related to unit locations, troop movement and deployment. Police teams have recovered WhatsApp chats and voice call records that allegedly establish his links with Pakistani handlers, CNN-News18 said. Investigators are also scrutinising his bank account to identify any suspicious financial transactions.

Ambala Crime DSP Virender Kumar told CNN-News18 that the accused has been placed on a four-day police remand for further interrogation. "We are investigating whether he was acting alone or if others were involved. More disclosures are expected during questioning," he said.

Police further alleged, as per CNN-News18, that Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI orchestrated the honeytrap by first gaining the accused's trust through a fake online identity and later demanding sensitive military information in return for money and favours.

Security agencies are now assessing the scale of the information breach as the investigation continues, CNN-News18 reported.