CTD Punjab arrests 12 suspected RAW operatives

WEB DESK: The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) announced on Monday the arrest of 12 suspected terrorists allegedly linked to India’s intelligence agency, Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), in coordinated operations across three major cities. Authorities have also seized a large cache of arms and intelligence materials.

According to a CTD spokesperson, the suspects were apprehended in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur. Recovered items include weapons, explosives, detonators, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and a significant amount of cash.

Officials stated that intelligence gathered from a Facebook account allegedly operated from India was instrumental in tracking down the network.

The CTD revealed that sensitive material was also confiscated from the suspects’ possession. This included photographs, videos, and location data of sensitive sites, government institutions, a seminary, and a public fair.

“In Faisalabad, the arrested terrorist aimed to spread fear, terror, and religious hatred in Punjab,” a CTD official stated, identifying one suspect from the city as Danish.

The suspects arrested in Lahore were named as Deep Singh, Azmat, Faisal, Nabeel Ibrar, and Usman Sarfraz. Those held in Bahawalpur were identified as Rizwan, Hashim, Sadiq, and Arif.

Authorities further claimed that the network received substantial funding from RAW through digital channels, facilitating its planned activities.

In a related development from Karachi, CTD Sindh reported the separate arrest of four more individuals described as RAW agents, along with the recovery of weapons and sabotage materials.

These arrests come amid heightened regional tensions, underscored by another report stating Iran executed an individual convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad.