In a disturbing case of cross-border espionage, security forces in Punjab have apprehended a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly recruited by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to conduct surveillance on sensitive military installations. The incident reveals a sinister new tactic of exploiting vulnerable minors along the India-Pakistan border.
The Digital Trap: From Chat Rooms to Cloned Phones
According to Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon, the Class-IX student from Jammu and Kashmir was tracked down following specific intelligence inputs. The investigation led to his mobile phone, which contained damning evidence of direct contact with officials of the Pakistan Army and operatives of narco-terror networks.
The boy was reportedly lured into Pakistan-based social media chat rooms, where handlers posing as friendly contacts identified him as a "soft target". They manipulated him with promises of weapons and support, eventually coercing him into taking photographs and videos of high-security border sites.
SSP Dhillon stated that the content recovered from the teenager's phone left the police team "flabbergasted." The device had been cloned through a malicious application, giving his Pakistani handlers direct access to all his data.
Exploiting Vulnerability: A Profile of the Young Suspect
The probe painted a troubling picture of the juvenile. Born in 2011, the boy had lost his father and was living with extended family. He was also struggling with diagnosed psychological disorders, including bipolar tendencies.
Authorities believe the ISI and its linked narco-terror networks deliberately exploited his psychological condition and technical curiosity. Using a mix of enticement and coercion, they transformed a school-going child into an asset for gathering intelligence against India.
Broader Network and a Stern Warning to Parents
The boy has been produced before a juvenile court and moved to a juvenile home. However, the investigation has widened significantly. Pathankot police have shared crucial data with their counterparts in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir to track other individuals suspected of being involved in similar espionage activities.
Officials revealed that the adolescent had been supplying information for "quite some time" before his capture. "Fortunately, we were able to save our boy in time," SSP Dhillon remarked. "Any further delay could have caused serious harm to him and posed a significant threat to national security."
The case has triggered an urgent appeal from law enforcement for heightened parental vigilance. SSP Dhillon urged families to:
- Monitor all online interactions and social media chat room participation of their children.
- Implement strict parental controls on mobile devices and computers.
- Watch for signs of manipulation or sudden behavioral changes, especially in children with existing mental health challenges.
This episode underscores how the battle for national security has moved into the digital domain, targeting the most vulnerable in society. It began in a chat room and nearly culminated in a security crisis, highlighting the need for constant awareness in the age of social media.
