STF busts ISI's 'mission Lareb Khan'

Lucknow, Sep 13 (UNI) The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police today arrested an alleged ISI operative involved in defence espionage from the state capital.

State director general of police (DGP) Bua Singh told UNI here that Taseen Azim, 24, was arrested by the STF sleuths from the Cantonment area.

Azim's operations in UP were code named 'Mission Lareb Khan' with the ISI. Incidentally, he was known as Lareb Khan in the state capital where he was running a placement agency.

Incriminating documents pertaining to Army's Central Command have reportedly been recovered from his possession.

He said Taseen was staying in the state for the past one-and-a-half years and sending military information to his masters across the border on a regular basis through various means, including internet. He had been trained by Pakistan Army in early 2000 after he completed his education in North Karachi.

A resident of Karachi, the sleuths caught hold of him when he was trying to help his aides get job in Lucknow-based Central Command headquarters.

The DGP said the ISI operative used to get his funds through an ATM card. While his family in Karachi used to get Rs 15000 per month as remunaration, he was given Rs 10,000. ''Good works'' used to fetch him an additional amount.

Taseen reportedly disclosed that he used to report to one Javed in Karachi.

The ISI operative had managed two driving licences from Haryana and Allahabad and fake school and Allahabad University certificates.

He crossed over to India (Kolkata) from Bangladesh, from where he reached UP after staying in Mumbai for four days.

UNI NAB/MB MSJ KN1735