Two men arrested in Bihar for helping Pakistani agents run Indian WhatsApp accounts

Bihar and Andhra Pradesh police arrested two young men in Raxaul for allegedly sharing phone verification codes with Pakistani intelligence operatives.

What Happened

Investigators caught 23-year-old Aditya Pandey and 24-year-old Raja Kumar during coordinated raids near the Indo-Nepal border. Police said the pair procured Indian phone numbers and passed the One-Time Passwords on to handlers across the border. These codes allowed agents to set up fake Indian WhatsApp accounts used for anti-India spying and security threats. The suspects received cash payments from their handlers in exchange for the login details.

Investigation

The case began when Vijayawada investigators tracked digital clues from an Andhra Pradesh case back to the Raxaul market and arrived in Bihar on October 25. A team led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Manish Anand and Station House Officer Ramesh Kumar Mahto carried out the arrests. Officers seized two mobile phones containing proof of sensitive chats and money transfers. A local court granted a transit remand, and the Andhra Police took both suspects to Vijayawada for further questioning about local and overseas links.

Context

Messaging platforms like WhatsApp require phone number verification via One-Time Passwords to confirm user identity. When bad actors gain control of accounts linked to real Indian phone numbers, they can easily trick people into trusting them. Law enforcement agencies track these digital footprints across state borders to stop foreign spying rings.