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In Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, authorities have apprehended fifteen individuals, including minors, on suspicion of espionage. They are accused of capturing images and videos of military facilities, railway stations, and other sensitive sites, subsequently sharing this information with foreign operatives.

The arrests were made after a Special Investigation Team detained six suspects on March 14, with nine more taken into custody on Friday. The exact number of minors among those arrested remains unclear.

Following the initial detentions, investigators identified eleven additional names, leading to the latest arrests. The adults among those detained have been named as Ganesh Giri (20), Vivek Rai (18), Gagan Prajapati (22), and Durgesh Nishad (26).

According to Additional Commissioner of Police Raj Karan Nayyar, two suspects, Naushad Ali and Sameer Ali, are currently on the run.

During interrogations, it was revealed that the suspects were tasked by their foreign handlers to set up solar-powered, SIM-based CCTV cameras. The police have recovered two such devices from railway stations in Sonipat, Haryana, and Delhi cantonment.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (City Zone) Dhawal Jaiswal noted that the group had been active for approximately six months.

Investigators discovered that the accused utilized a mobile application to transmit GPS coordinates to their handlers. They allegedly shared one-time passwords linked to Indian SIM cards, allowing the handlers to manage accounts with Indian numbers.

In return for their activities, the suspects reportedly received payments ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. The police indicated that the SIM cards used were either stolen or registered under family members' names. Authorities believe the suspects are part of a broader network, and investigations are ongoing to uncover further connections and locations.

A case has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which address threats to India's sovereignty and integrity, as well as criminal conspiracy and the Official Secrets Act.