Operation Meghdoot — RAW Saves Siachen With a Jacket Receipt

 

Year: 1984

This is one of RAW's most brilliant intelligence coups, and it came from the most unexpected source — a shopping receipt.

RAW received information from a London company that had supplied Arctic-weather gear for Indian troops from the Northern Ladakh region, that Pakistan had also bought similar Arctic-weather gear. This tiny commercial tip set alarm bells ringing. Pakistan was clearly planning to move troops into the Siachen Glacier — and seize it before India could.

This information was shared with the Indian Army, which soon launched Operation Meghdoot. Around 300 acclimatized Indian troops were airlifted to Siachen before Pakistan could launch any operation, resulting in an Indian head start and eventual Indian domination of all major peaks in Siachen. 

The Siachen Glacier was not demarcated under the Simla Agreement. Indian troops reached the glacier just days before Pakistan, securing the strategic heights. 

Today, Siachen is the world's highest battlefield, and India controls it — all because a RAW officer noticed a suspicious purchase order in London.