Odisha STF arrested 3 accused for sharing OTP with Pakistani intelligence operatives

Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force of Crime Branch have arrested three accused persons for sharing OTP with some criminals and anti-national elements (to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives).

STF sources here on Sunday said based on the intelligence input about OTP sharing with some criminals and anti-national elements, STF conducted raids and arrested three accused persons — Pathanisamant Lenka, (35 ) of Badapandusar Police station, Saroj Kumar Nayak @ Amit, (26) of Sakeni under Dasapalla police station both of Nayagarh district. and Soumya Pattanaik, (19) of, Sujanpur in Jajpur district on Saturday and forwarded to the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar.

During raid various incriminating materials such as mobile phones, pre-activated SIM Cards, Laptop etc. were seized from their possession.

The seized materials included-19 costly mobile phones 47 SIM Cards, 61 ATM cards and 23 SIM covers.

In this connection a case U/s 419/ 420/ 465/ 467/ 468/471/120(B)/34 IPC r/w. 66 C & 66 D IT Act, 2000 has been filed and Investigation is on.

STF sources said the accused were fraudulently procuring huge numbers of SIMs in other’s name and selling the OTPs (linked/generated using the SIMs) to various clients including some Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIO)/ ISI agents in Pakistan as well as in India.

They were also in touch with a female PIO agent who was arrested last year in an Official secrets Act/ Honey-Trap case in Rajsthan.

These OTPs were used to create various accounts/ Channels on social media like Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram and also on online shopping sites like Amazon, Flipkart. These are also used in opening email accounts.

These social media platforms then will be used in various kinds of Anti-India activities like Spying, communication with terrorists, radicalization, running anti -India propaganda, fuelling anti-India/ divisive sentiments on social media, sextortion, Honey-trapping.

As these accounts are registered/linked to Indian mobile numbers people find them trustworthy.

The accounts opened on online shopping platforms are also used to supply items to terrorists and anti-India elements.

Apart from these, they were also in the business of creating and selling mule accounts through social media groups which are again used in various kinds of crimes, STF sources said. (UNI)