India, April 24 -- LUCKNOW A string of recent arrests across UP and the National Capital Region (NCR) has revealed an expanding and increasingly complex threat network combining espionage, online radicalisation, petty crime and terror-linked objectives, often directed by Pakistan-based handlers.

UP DGP Rajeev Krishna said the pattern points to an emerging "hybrid threat" where social media radicalisation, criminal activity and espionage are orchestrated by foreign handlers. "These are not isolated cases. Youth are first drawn in through minor criminal activities or financial inducements, and then gradually pushed towards more serious anti-national acts," he said.

He added that decentralised modules and encrypted platforms make detection...