Punjab teen arrested for spying for Pakistani handlers

15-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Sharing Security Information

A 15-year-old boy has been apprehended in Punjab’s Pathankot district for allegedly sharing sensitive security information with Pakistani intelligence handlers, police said on Tuesday.

Details of the Arrest

The teenager is the youngest to be arrested on espionage charges since the crackdown after Operation Sindoor, the May 2025 military response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Pathankot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon stated that the teenager had been radicalised through social media over the past year. Police acted on intelligence that a local minor was in contact with Pakistan military officers, the ISI, and frontal terror organisations. They intercepted the boy on Monday.

Technology Involved

The SSP described the boy as tech-savvy. He noted that Pakistani agents had successfully cloned his mobile phone to extract data. “Through cloning, handlers were able to access information directly from his device. He had conducted videography of sensitive locations; if his phone was hacked to that extent, the information could have potentially been transmitted live,” Dhillon said.

Background of the Teenager

Investigations revealed that the boy’s path to radicalisation began after the death of his father in Jammu and Kashmir a year ago. While police found no evidence of foul play, the teenager believed his father was murdered. “This belief affected his psyche, making him vulnerable to the traps set by Pakistani agencies on social media,” the SSP added.

Context of the Arrest

The teenager is the youngest to be arrested on espionage charges since the crackdown after Operation Sindoor. Since the operation, security agencies have dismantled multiple modules involving diverse actors, including travel vloggers, university students, and security guards. Most suspects arrested in the crackdown are between 20 and 35 years old.

Pathankot is a vital military hub housing the strategic Air Force Base and Mamun Cantonment, making it the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir. Following the 2016 Jaish-e-Mohammed siege, it remains on high alert.

Summary of Key Facts