The elite National Techni-cal Research Organisation (NTRO) has been tasked with devising technology to crack software now being used by terror outfits to evade tracking of their cell phones by intelligence agencies.
Highly placed intelligence sources said top terror operatives were using a particular software that conceals the “cell ID” of their mobile phones, thus making interception and tracking of the location of the cell phone virtually impossible. Top intelligence and security agencies have the technical expertise to trace a cell phone within a two-metre radius anywhere in the world.
Intelligence officials argue that though this was suspected for quite sometime, it was finally confirmed during investigations into the recent busting of an Indian Mujahideen module which was also responsible for the Pune serial bombings. A detailed analysis of the cell phones recovered from the suspects revealed that they were in constant touch with IM founders Riaz and Iqbal Bhatkal in Karachi. But they had downloaded a particular software on their “high-end cell phones” which made it impossible to track them.
“Normally we keep all suspected cell phone numbers being used in terror activities under surveillance. But due to the usage of this particular software it was impossible for the investigating agencies to tack this IM module,” an intelligence official remarked.
Senior intelligence officials suspect that terror operatives are being trained by ISI tech experts. In this particular case, the Bhatkal brothers were instructed to download this software onto their cell phones. “So it’s confirmed that terrorists sitting in Pakistan are being trained by the ISI in greater use of computer technology in spreading terror,” the official added.
Security agencies suspect that other IM and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba modules in the country are also using the same software. The NTRO has now started working on this “complex issue”.