# Bengal STF arrests three for ISI links, SIM card smuggling

2026-08-15T14:41:55+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

West Bengal's Special Task Force arrested three men from Cooch Behar district on Friday evening for alleged links to Pakistan's ISI. The accused, Rashidul Haque, Nur Nasiruddin Ali and Shafiqul Islam, were caught in the Sahebganj area of Dinahata and remanded in police custody for 14 days on Saturday. Investigators say the trio smuggled Indian SIM cards to Pakistan via Bangladesh and produced counterfeit currency notes. The arrests are part of a wider crackdown that includes the July 31 capture of a Jaish-e-Mohammed operative and the recent detention of Pakistani national Rana Rauf, who entered India illegally in 2012 and conducted surveillance using forged documents.

## Coverage

- hindustantimes.com <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sim-cards-smuggling-counterfeit-currency-notes-three-arrested-in-west-bengal-over-suspected-pakistan-based-isi-links-101786800891502.html>
- rediff.com <https://www.rediff.com/news/report/bengal-stf-nabs-3-in-cooch-behar-over-spying-for-isi-ahead-of-i-day/20260815.htm>

Tags: Bangladesh, Cooch Behar, ISI, Jaish-e-Mohammed, West Bengal Special Task Force
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