ISI Allegedly Forging Senior Officers' Channels to Trap Army Personnel With Fake Urgent Messages, Officials Tell IANS

Intelligence Bureau officials told IANS that Pakistan's ISI has allegedly shifted from conventional honey-trapping to forging communication channels that mimic high-ranking police and Army officers, staying silent for a time and then triggering fake emergencies so junior officers share information without verifying the channel. The tactic allegedly surfaced after a Ferozepur couple's arrest for allegedly spying on military installations; the charges are allegations under investigation.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk24 October 20263 min readRead in all 3 languages

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is allegedly using forged communication channels that mimic senior police and Army officers to extract information from junior Indian personnel, Intelligence Bureau officials told IANS in a report published on Saturday. The officials said the tactic came to light after the arrest of a couple in Punjab's Ferozepur district for allegedly running a honey-trap operation targeting information about key military installations. The allegations are as stated by officials and have not been independently adjudicated.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

According to IANS, the husband and wife lived in Kalu Wala village in Ferozepur district, close to the India-Pakistan border, and have been accused of sharing sensitive information about Army movements and deployments in border areas. Investigators said the woman allegedly posed as a police officer to mislead people and gain access to confidential information. Jagran, in a separate report on the Ferozepur arrests, said the couple was held in a joint operation by Army Intelligence and Punjab Police and that a case was registered under the Official Secrets Act.

Source: Jagran (JND) via Daily Jagran

How the forged-channel tactic allegedly works

An Intelligence Bureau official told IANS that honey-trapping has long been used to extract sensitive information, but impersonation is now a growing concern. Recruits allegedly forge communication channels in the names of high-ranking police and Army officers, keep them silent while watching junior officers, and then send a message carrying a severe sense of urgency, the official said.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

Another official told IANS that when an artificial emergency is created, a junior officer tends to pass on information urgently, prioritising the urgency over cross-checking whether the channel is genuine. Once the information is gathered, the forged channels are allegedly shut down immediately, the official added. Nation Press also reported the IANS account of the fake-officer-channel tactic on Saturday.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

Jagran reported that, according to sources familiar with the investigation, the woman also allegedly used social media platforms to try to honey-trap officials linked to the Army. The accused persons' version and the outcome of the case will be matters for the investigation and the courts; the charges are allegations at this stage.

Source: Jagran (JND) via Daily Jagran

Sources: IANS via The Freedom Press and Nation Press, October 24, 2026, reporting Intelligence Bureau officials on the alleged ISI tactic; Jagran (JND) via Daily Jagran, October 23, 2026, reporting the Ferozepur couple's arrest.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press