Two held in Raxaul for allegedly helping Pakistani operatives activate Indian WhatsApp accounts

In a major counter-espionage breakthrough, a joint team of the Bihar Police and Andhra Pradesh Police busted a cross-border cyber espionage network operating out of the Indo-Nepal border town of Raxaul.

Two youths have been arrested for allegedly helping Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) activate Indian WhatsApp accounts in exchange for financial benefits, said SDPO Manish Anand, who led the raiding team.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Aditya Pandey (23), a resident of Naga Road (Ward No. 11) in Raxaul, East Champaran, and Raja Kumar (24), a native of Harlakhi in Madhubani district currently residing at Noniyadih under Raxaul police station.

If sources are to be believed, the investigation originated from an Andhra Pradesh case (Case No. 0-01/2026), and investigators from Vijayawada arrived in Raxaul on October 25 after tracking digital footprints linked to suspects based in the local Raxaul market.

The syndicate's modus operandi revolved around procuring Indian mobile phone numbers and forwarding the resulting One-Time Passwords (OTPs) directly to Pakistani operatives.

These credentials allowed handlers across the border to remotely configure and run WhatsApp accounts disguised as genuine Indian users. The rogue accounts were subsequently deployed to orchestrate anti-India operations and conduct espionage activities hostile to the country’s sovereignty, unity, and internal security. In return for relaying these authentication codes, the suspects received substantial sums of money from their Pakistani handlers.

Acting on the tip-off, law enforcement authorities formed a specialised raiding party that conducted coordinated swoops across multiple locations under the jurisdiction of Raxaul police station. The joint operation was spearheaded by Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Manish Anand and Raxaul Station House Officer (SHO) Ramesh Kumar Mahto, alongside personnel from the visiting Vijayawada Police contingent.

During the operation, police seized two mobile phones from the possession of the accused. A preliminary forensic scrutiny of the devices revealed damning evidence, including digital logs of sensitive communication shared with Pakistani operatives and records verifying money transfers received in return for their services.

Both accused were taken to Vijayawada by the Andhra Police contingent on transit remand to uncover potential domestic and overseas linkages.