Security and intelligence agencies have arrested more than one such Pakistani in Madhya Pradesh, and they say there is very much a pattern.
BHOPAL: Abdul Sami was a Pakistani criminal trained in Karachi. He sneaked into India and lived in Madhya Pradesh like a local and spying on military establishments. Authorities say Madhya Pradesh is a haven for Pakistani spies.
Security and intelligence agencies have arrested more than one such Pakistani in Madhya Pradesh, and they say there is very much a pattern.
"Yes, Madhya Pradesh has become a safe haven for notorious criminals and terrorists due to lack of coordination among the police forces of different states," a Special Branch police officer said.
Abdul Sami was living in the Gandhi Nagar area of Bhopal when he was arrested. He had a driving licence, a ration card, a job as data entry operator at a foreign bank and his name is figured in the voters' list - all that is needed to prove one's nationality.
But he proved to be a Pakistani national, spying for the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Security officers say Sami's arrest underlines the deep penetration role played by Pakistani moles in India. It shows how easy it is to obtain official documents -- for a price.
"ISI zeroed in on Sami, wanted for murder in Pakistan, promising to settle him in India if he agreed to do its bidding. It was an offer Abdul couldn't resist," a senior officer said. "Trained from May 2003 at a Karachi safe house, Sami was launched in India through Dhaka."
Within days Abdul settled down. He found an elderly man, Abdul Salam, and for a handsome amount convinced him to adopt him as his son. Within a month he had the ration card and driving licence, issued by the regional transport office here.
"ISI gave me computer lessons besides teaching me the tricks of the trade," Sami told his interrogators.
Sami was to get married to a local girl May 25 but was arrested three days earlier while sending secret information about the Indian Army to Pakistan via e-mail from an Internet cafe.
"Sami is not an exception," an intelligence official said.
Three days after he was arrested, police in Jabalpur town caught another Pakistani, Ejad-ul-Hassan alias Imran. He too was a Pakistan spy launched from Bangladesh.
The police and the military intelligence raided a photocopy centre in the cantonment area in Jabalpur and recovered several classified documents and maps, related to army training and an ordnance factory. Nearly 20 "secret books" were also seized.
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