India's external intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), also known as the Special Bureau, has recently raised an alarm by sharing critical intelligence regarding Chinese operations in India.
This was further corroborated by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) during a security review meeting. The FPJ has successfully accessed the minutes of the meeting, which contained details of the Chinese operation.
R&AW Issues Orders to Monitor Nepali Arrivals
R&AW has issued directives to agencies dealing with internal security to maintain close surveillance on Nepali individuals arriving in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The directive follows specific intelligence received from R&AW's sources in China, indicating that Chinese agents have devised new covert strategies to enter India undetected. These Chinese agents are discreetly adopting new identities by obtaining Nepali passports with the assistance of private agencies and local Nepalese passport offices. Armed with these covert profiles, they traverse from Nepal to India holding Nepali passports. Once they reach cities such as Mumbai or Pune, their intriguing choice is to settle in Pune and often integrate into local communities, including joining ashrams. It is from here that they initiate their covert operations against India.
Chinese Agents Using Nepali Passports to Infiltrate India
According to R&AW, these highly trained Chinese agents have mastered fluency in both Hindi and English. Under the guise of Nepali citizenship, they are deeply involved in economic warfare and covert operations. This elite agency highlights the fact that their extended stays in India are a deliberate strategy, as their mastery of language and the cloak of Nepali identity makes it exceedingly challenging to distinguish their true origins, be it Chinese, Nepali, or people from the Northeastern regions as they all resemble to Mongoliad tribe.
On the condition of anonymity, a top official of the agency said that the Chinese intelligence agency operates quite differently compared to organisations like ISI, CIA or other global security agencies.
The Chinese intelligence service employs a unique approach, utilising ideologues and journalists, particularly those with a Marxist ideology, for their operations in India. Chinese agents who reside in India appear to focus primarily on soft civilian targets, such as scientists, policy analysts, staff from defense and space research and development establishments, journalists and think tanks.
Economic Warfare and Espionage
Furthermore, these agents, who use ashrams as their cover, engage in economic warfare by infiltrating the Indian market through numerous small-scale industries. They manufacture substandard products at minimal rates, 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 warfare, collaborating with skilled individuals to counter government policies in recent years.
Shell Companies and Tax Evasion
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 siphoned back to Chinese companies. These companies are challenging to trace, as they leave minimal traces behind.
The contemporary objectives of the Chinese intelligence service in India are centered on gathering intelligence about nuclear weaponisation, deployment and the Command, Control and Communication (C3I) systems. They also target missile developments, deployments and capabilities.
