Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is looking to expand its honey-trapping operations by setting up home-grown networks in smaller Indian towns and villages, according to intelligence officials. The move is being seen as a fresh challenge for Indian security agencies, particularly as the ISI is also turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated images and videos to trap targets and extract sensitive information.
The ISI had earmarked around Rs 3,000 crore between 2015 and 2019 for running the module, highlighting the scale of the operation, according to the official. The official said the ISI had earlier recruited people in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, who reported to handlers based in Faridkot.
An Intelligence Bureau official said the development would make it harder for Indian agencies to detect and trace such operations. An official said the ISI is unlikely to focus primarily on major cities while setting up the new network. The focus, however, would remain on smaller locations where recruits can be found more easily and offered substantial amounts of money, the official said. Another official said recent investigations found that the ISI had used pornography and nudity as part of its honey-trapping methods to lure people and obtain sensitive information. The agency had also used attractive women to establish contact with targets and gather information, particularly about the Indian armed forces, the official said.
For years, the honey-trap network was reportedly operated from Faridkot in Pakistan, with handlers directing recruits in India. Instead, it is looking towards smaller towns and villages, where recruitment can be carried out with less attention and people can be lured with financial incentives. The agency is now looking to expand its network to towns in southern India as well.
