‘Spy’ held in Mumbai took orders from ISI officers at Delhi mission

A 28-year-old visa agent arrested in the city last week on suspicion of spying for Pakistan had allegedly scouted 20-25 terrorism targets across the country on the orders of two diplomats posted at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi,the police said on Wednesday. Among the sites scouted by Javed Abdul Gafoor Mozawala were dams,bridges,cantonments and other vital installations,they said. Sources told The Indian Express that the two diplomats were senior Pakistan Army officers linked to the ISI,on deputation at the High Commission. One is believed to be of Lieutenant Colonel rank; the other a Major. A report detailing dealings between them and Mozawala is being sent to the Centre,and the process of declaring the officers persona non-grata would be initiated soon,they said.According to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch which arrested Mozawala on December 10,the suspect had,during frequent trips to Delhi over the past two years,passed on pictures of these sites on a microchip to the diplomats. “Our Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) received information that a man identified as Javed Mozawala,residing in Byculla,was involved in anti-national activities. CIU raided his residence on confirmation that material evidence was likely to be found,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy.“Investigations have revealed that Mozawala was a well-embedded asset. He was in touch with two senior officials in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi,and was working under their instructions. We are in communication with the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding these two diplomats. Over the last two years,Mozawala had scouted around 20 to 25 important locations in and around Mumbai and other parts of the country. He used to pass on sensitive information on a microchip to these two officials,” said Roy.The sites surveyed by Mozawala include the ISRO headquarters in Bangalore,the Western Naval Command office opposite the Reserve Bank of India on Mumbai’s Mint Road,and strategically located bridges across the country,sources said.Mozawala had also scouted the Koyna dam in Maharashtra to assess the potential for causing massive devastation by blowing it up,the sources added. Mozawala,a Class 8 dropout,has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and for forgery under the Indian Penal Code. He is in police custody until December 20. “From his residence we seized a manual in English on communications and tactics meant for Islamic terror organisations and groups,which is not available on the Internet or in the public domain. He was also in possession of telephone numbers of senior officials,defence establishments and vital installations that are for restricted use only. We have seized photographs of dams,bridges,defence cantonments and vital installations during the raids,as well as mobile phones,SIM cards,CDs,and pen drives,” Roy said. The police have also found that Mozawala underwent a civil aviation course in ground handling. They have seized two certificates of the course conducted by a Mumbai institute. “The course deals with ground handling,and since this does not fit with his career profile it could have sinister implications. Getting a job in cargo handling could get him access to restricted areas,” Roy said. According to the police,Mozawala would liaise with the Pakistan High Commission to get people Pakistani visas. He is believed to have made several trips to Pakistan other than the two on record — and is likely to have been indoctrinated and given terror training. He was paid from time to time in return,including money to buy the small apartment in which he had been living for the past six months.