Pak ‘spy’ surveyed key sites; defence staffer under lens

“Mozawala had gone inside the restricted defence establishments and taken photos from his camera-loaded mobile phone. He took the help of a defence employee,who will be questioned by officials concerned. The person may not be knowing the intentions of Mozawala’s activities,but he is under scanner now,” the Crime Branch official said on condition of anonymity.

Police have claimed Mozawala was working at the behest of two officials of the Pakistan High Commission.

“Western Naval Command in Mumbai and a Navy facility in Lonavla (in Pune district) were among the various defence establishments he had surveyed. It was very startling that he had the telephone numbers of senior defence officials and establishments,” the officer said.

The famous Bandra Worli Sea Link bridge here and Koyna dam in Satara district were also scouted and photographed by him,he said.

“The photos give the idea of security arrangements at the sites. He has taken the pictures of those areas of the bridge and dam where there will be maximum impact if a bomb is planted. He surveyed vital locations outside Maharashtra as well,” the official said. Mozawala,charged with spying for a foreign country,has been booked under the Official Secrets Act.

The police have also found Mozawala underwent a civil aviation course related to ground handling operations. Two certificates of the course conducted by a Mumbai institute were recovered from his residence.

“The basic idea of obtaining these certificates is to get a job of ground handling which allows access to restricted areas at airports,” the official said.

Several incriminating documents were seized from Mozawala’s residence,including a manual related to terrorist organisations and visa application forms of several persons for Pakistan,police said.

Mozawala was paid anything between Rs 30,000 to 40,000 a month for ‘spying’,the officer said adding,”they were probing how this person managed to buy,in July this year,a plush flat in a building in Mazgaon which must have cost Rs 50 to 60 lakh. He stayed on rent in western suburbs before that.”

Police would also question about 150 to 200 people,who visited Pakistan after getting visas with the help of Mozawala,who got remuneration Rs 6,000 per visa.

“He had frequently visited Pakistan’s High Commission. The seized manual is similar to one associated with the Al Qaeda,” the official added.

During his frequent trips to Delhi,Mozawala passed on pictures of these sites on a microchip to the diplomats or sent the chips to his associates through those who visited Pakistan through him,he said.