India’s Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), the external intelligence agency, has raised alarms regarding Chinese activities in the country. R&AW has alerted domestic security agencies to closely watch Nepali individuals arriving in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur.
According to details provided by R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing), these highly proficient Chinese operatives have acquired significant expertise in both Hindi and English. They work clandestinely, adopting Nepali identities, and are deeply involved in operations related to economic warfare.
This information was further substantiated during a security review meeting held by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO). The minutes of this meeting, which contained specifics about Chinese operations, is said to have been obtained by Free Press Journal.
Chinese Agents Entering India Disguising As Nepalis
This directive follows specific intelligence received from R&AW sources in China, which suggests that Chinese agents have developed new covert methods to enter India without detection. These agents are discreetly assuming new identities by acquiring Nepali passports with the help of private agencies and local Nepalese passport offices.
Armed with these covert personas, they travel from Nepal to India using Nepali passports since there is no check at the border. Upon reaching cities like Mumbai or Pune, they often choose to settle in Pune and blend into local communities, including participating in ashrams. It is from these locations that they initiate their clandestine activities in India.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a high-ranking official from the agency noted that the Chinese intelligence agency operates differently compared to organizations like ISI, CIA, or other global security agencies.
The Chinese intelligence service enjoys the advantage of using local communist-leftest-liberal ideologues and journalists, particularly those with a Marxist/Maoist ideology, for their operations in India to gather all kinds of intelligence. Chinese agents residing in India appear to primarily target soft civilian targets, such as scientists, policy analysts, personnel from defense and space research and development institutions, journalists, and think tanks.
Economic Warfare and Espionage
Furthermore, these agents, using ashrams as their cover, engage in economic warfare by infiltrating the Indian market through numerous small-scale industries. They manufacture substandard products at low costs with the intention of gaining a foothold in the Indian economy. Their strategy involves influencing think tanks and policymakers to integrate the Chinese market into the Indian economy. Additionally, these agents are involved in social media campaigns, collaborating with skilled individuals to counter government policies in recent years.
Tax Evasion Through Shell Companies
Chinese agents also pose an economic threat by establishing shell companies, appointing Indian directors, and conducting cash transactions to evade taxes, resulting in significant revenue losses for India. The profits generated are repatriated to Chinese companies. These companies are challenging to trace, as they leave minimal traces behind.
The current objectives of the Chinese intelligence service in India revolve around gathering intelligence related to nuclear weaponization, deployment, Command, Control, and Communication (C3I) systems. They also focus on missile developments, deployments, and capabilities.
This sophisticated intelligence agency emphasizes that their prolonged presence in India is a deliberate tactic. Their linguistic expertise and the cover of Nepali identity make it extremely difficult to discern their actual backgrounds, whether they are Chinese, Nepali, or individuals from the northeastern regions, as they share physical characteristics resembling the Mongolian ethnicity.
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