A Pakistan ISI-backed espionage network, busted by Ghaziabad Police, stretched from Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra, surveilling naval bases, airports, and railway stations in Mumbai for live intelligence feeds, investigators revealed Monday.

The module, led by prime accused Suhail Malik, installed solar-powered CCTV cameras at crowded sites to beam real-time data to handlers across the border. Questioning exposed operations far beyond Delhi-NCR, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir, reaching Pune and Mumbai.

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Malik posed as a bakery daily wager in Ghaziabad but drew ISI payrolls. "He resided in Pune and transmitted details on sensitive spots there and in Mumbai, then relocated to Ghaziabad to helm the ring," a senior investigating official said.

Cameras targeted crowds, military sites

The spies focused on army cantonments, railway stations, and security movements, with heavy emphasis on Indian Railways.

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"Targets included naval facilities and airport zones in Mumbai," the official added. Malik spent 2020-2025 in Mumbai, scouting sites and relaying intel.

Solar CCTVs captured live feeds from busy locations, not set up hastily but built over years.

"This was no overnight job; agencies are dissecting years of leaked data," another official noted.

Malik earned Rs 8,000 per camera, installing multiples stealthily.

The ring supplied low-cost intel for multi-site attacks, averting "a major catastrophe," per sources. While they gathered data, ISI planned a separate strike module for railways and cantonments.

The bust prompted Maharashtra to audit all CCTV systems, halting procurement from Chinese firms. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority now require police nods for surveillance.

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An Intelligence Bureau official warned of the network's vast footprint. "This spans states; police must coordinate. We need to trace data usage and ISI's endgame -- not an isolated cell."

IANS