Spies, lies & sim cards: Inside ISI’s espionage game in Delhi

Under the radar in the national capital, foreign intelligence agents—sheltered by diplomatic immunity—quietly exploit vulnerable individuals to extract sensitive information. Among the most persistent threats are operatives of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), whose eyes remain fixed on India’s strategic secrets. But how does this covert machinery function, and what fuels its unrelenting pursuit?

Insights from Indian intelligence operations and Delhi Police investigations have helped TOI piece together the blueprint of how ISI builds and maintains its spy network within India.

Visa Office: The frontline of recruitment

The visa section of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi often becomes a front for espionage. ISI operatives, disguised as diplomats and visa officers, use delays and document demands as tools to manipulate and assess applicants.


One of their primary tactics is asking for a local SIM card—often obtained on forged papers or in the applicant’s name.

“ISI posts trained agents as part of the high commission’s public-facing departments—particularly the visa and grievance sections,” a former Delhi crime branch officer involved in cracking a major spy ring in 2016 told TOI. “These Pakistani intelligence officers (PIOs) are assigned specific regions of India and tasked with identifying susceptible applicants who can be groomed into assets.”

The SIM card trap

According to the report, the process usually begins innocently enough. A PIO requests a SIM card, testing whether the applicant will comply. If they do, further manipulation follows—deliberate complications in the visa process, frequent visits, and subtle coercion.

In 2022, for example, a kulfi vendor was lured with promises of cash and a visa. “He was asked to buy five SIM cards, activate WhatsApp on two, and hand over a sealed package—for a reward of Rs 5,000,” a senior investigator told the news outlet. “He had no clue the WhatsApp accounts were being accessed across the border.”

From innocent tasks to dangerous missions

What starts with a SIM card often escalates quickly. Targets may be asked to capture photographs of military sites, record train movements, or send location data. These requests, while seemingly random, are part of a larger strategy.

One such case saw a target ordered to film trains at stations—just months after terrorist Farhatullah Ghori had called for mass derailments in India, said TOI. The overlap between espionage and terrorism highlights the dangerous scope of these covert missions.

Turning xitizens into spies

ISI’s core aim is consistent: convert unsuspecting Indian citizens into tools for intelligence gathering or sabotage. The agency thrives on identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities—be it financial distress, desperation for a visa, or emotional manipulation.

“By preying on weak spots, ISI builds a network capable of providing critical intelligence on India’s defence, government, and infrastructure,” said Ashok Chand, a retired anti-terror officer. “It’s a slow and steady process of psychological entrapment.”

The diplomatic shield

Policing these activities is no easy task. ISI agents rarely leave the safety of the high commission, where diplomatic immunity protects them. Still, there are occasional missteps.

According to the TOI report, in 2020, Delhi Police nabbed two supposed visa officials—Abid Hussain and Tahir Khan—caught red-handed accepting confidential documents. They were later identified as ISI operatives and declared persona non grata.

Similarly, in 2016, ISI agent Mehmood Akhtar was exposed while posing as a visa officer. Though Akhtar escaped prosecution due to diplomatic immunity, his Indian collaborators were arrested, laying bare ISI’s playbook.