The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Kolkata resident accused of operating as a Pakistan-backed spy and leaking highly confidential security information to Pakistani Intelligence Officers (PIOs).
The accused, identified as Zafar Riaz alias Rizvi, was taken into custody following an intensive multi-state crackdown on an active anti-India espionage network. Prior to his arrest, Riaz was already under a Look Out Circular (LOC) and was facing active legal proceedings to be declared a Proclaimed Offender (PO).
Deep-rooted cross-border links
According to official statements from the agency, Riaz's ties to Pakistan are deeply personal and long-standing. He is married to a Pakistani national, and his children hold Pakistani citizenship.
Investigations into the case revealed that Riaz has been travelling frequently between India and Pakistan since 2005. The NIA stated that during one of these visits, he was formally contacted and cultivated by PIOs. In exchange for leaking state secrets, Riaz was allegedly offered lucrative financial inducements as well as the promise of official Pakistani citizenship.
Crucially, this is not Riaz’s first run-in with law enforcement for treasonous activity; he has a prior conviction in an espionage case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Official Secrets Act.
