Pakistan’s ISI recruited Indian teens as sleeper cells

What Happened

Authorities say Indian teenagers and young adults were identified over the past two years as having been lured through social media by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and groomed to act as sleeper cells under its direction. The operation is linked to Pakistani gangster Shehzad Bhatti and his associates. One recruit, Ashraf Daniyal, was reportedly befriended in January of the current year by Hamad Memon, who is described as an aide of Bhatti. After Daniyal impressed Memon, he was invited to another messaging group where there was discussion about the state of minorities in India and how to change it.

The individuals listed by authorities include: Ashraf Daniyal, 23, a handloom worker from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, who lives in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra; Sajid Mehboob Shaikh, 21, a garbage collector from Kurla, Mumbai; Krishna Mishra, 20, from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh; Amarjit Singh and Karanjit Singh, both 19; and Satnam Singh, 22, from Gurdaspur, Punjab. These people have been identified as among those identified in the past two years in connection with the ISI recruitment operation.

Why It Matters

The report frames the case as a cross-border influence operation using social media to recruit vulnerable youths for plots at a foreign intelligence agency’s direction, coordinated by a named gangster network. If substantiated, the pattern could suggest ongoing attempts to cultivate domestic sleeper networks via online contacts and social media outreach.

Background

The narrative centers on ISI activity alleged to involve luring Indian youths through online networks, with links to a gangster named Shehzad Bhatti and his associates. The recruitment activity is described as taking place over the past two years, with the January encounter between Daniyal and Memon forming a concrete instance cited in the account.

Key Facts

• Ashraf Daniyal is 23, from Barabanki (UP) and lives in Bhiwandi (Maharashtra).
• Sajid Mehboob Shaikh is 21, from Kurla (Mumbai).
• Krishna Mishra is 20, from Gorakhpur (UP).
• Amarjit Singh and Karanjit Singh are 19; Satnam Singh is 22; all are from different parts of Punjab or nearby regions.
• The individuals were identified by Indian law enforcement as having been lured via social media by Pakistan’s ISI and groomed as sleeper cells.
• The alleged operation centers on Pakistani gangster Shehzad Bhatti and his associates; Daniyal allegedly connected with Bhatti’s aide, Hamad Memon, in January this year.