Inside Spy Ring: PIO-Linked Espionage Targets Contractual Workers At Sensitive Sites, Triggering Security Alert

Mumbai: The central intelligence agency apparatus has raised red flags over an uptick in attempts by Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIO) to contact and exploit contractual workers engaged in sensitive installations across Maharashtra. The development has triggered a heightened state of alert among law enforcement and security agencies, especially those responsible for safeguarding critical assets such as nuclear installations, defence establishments, and coastal infrastructure.

According to sources familiar with the subject, PIOs are increasingly using covert methods often posing as job agents or friendly locals to engage contractual workers employed at sensitive establishments, telecom hubs, and key public utilities. These workers, often hired through third-party agencies without rigorous background checks, are seen as soft targets. Officials fear this loophole could become a critical entry point for hostile actors posing as labourers, utility staff, or drivers

The major concern is the revelation that some of these labourers are suspected to be illegal Bangladeshi migrants working under false identities, using forged Aadhaar cards to gain employment. The agency has flagged this as a serious internal security breach, given the strategic nature of the locations these workers have access to.

The issue gained urgency following an ongoing espionage investigation, where intelligence and law enforcement officials reviewed the increasing frequency of such PIO-linked contact attempts. The calls are said to follow a structured pattern, deployed at key assets including nuclear installations, ordnance factories, coastal facilities, and defence establishments, aimed at collecting seemingly innocuous information such as shift timings, entry points, security routines, and even photographs of restricted areas data that could be pieced together for sabotage or terror planning.

In light of the findings, security agencies have issued a series of urgent directives aimed at plugging loopholes. These include immediate counter-verification of Aadhaar credentials for all contractual workers, especially those deployed at sensitive installations. Agencies are instructed to use mobile applications capable of real-time Aadhaar authentication to validate identities on the ground.

Additionally, enforcement units have been directed to launch aggressive checks to identify illegal migrants employed under forged documentation. There is a particular focus on slum clusters and hawker zones near critical infrastructure, which are seen as breeding grounds for infiltration due to lax oversight.

Security has been ramped up across vital installations. This includes the deployment of additional personnel at nuclear power plants, ordnance factories, telecom towers, and coastal surveillance units. Law enforcement officials have been directed to launch special drives aimed at identifying and neutralizing criminal elements and anti-national sympathizers. They have also been instructed to revisit previously identified hotspots, refresh suspect lists, enhance surveillance systems, and intensify ground-level intelligence gathering. Special emphasis has been placed on tracking digital footprints, coordinating with cyber cells, and ensuring seamless intelligence sharing between local police, cyber cells, and national agencies.

Authorities have also been advised to initiate fresh audits of workforce credentials and security protocols, particularly by PSUs and private sector operators in energy, communication, and transport sectors. Special monitoring units have been activated to detect suspected sleeper cells embedded within industrial belts and migrant-dense zones.

This is not merely about a few suspicious calls, it’s a systematic exploitation of internal security gaps by foreign operatives using economic vulnerabilities,” said a senior officer aware of the assessment. He emphasized the need for a multi-pronged counter strategy combining human intelligence, digital surveillance, and inter-agency coordination.

Pakistan Espionage Network Busted: How Ex-Pakistani Cop Acted As Bridge Between ISI And Indian YouTubers, Claims Report

The increasing frequency of communication attempts linked to PIOs and reiterated the need to uphold law and order. The agency's warning underscores the evolving nature of espionage threats facing India, especially the use of soft targets like underpaid contractual workers in strategic sectors. Officials have emphasized the need for a multi-layered approach combining technological surveillance, human intelligence, and inter-agency coordination to counter such covert operations that exploit economic and social vulnerabilities.