Busting a module allegedly involved in sharing sensitive defence information with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), the Andhra Pradesh Police‘s Counter Intelligence Cell has arrested two persons associated with the naval base at Visakhapatnam, officials said.

Police said the module comprises 18 suspects of which 13 are from the Navy.

The arrested accused include Pradeep Mukharjee, an employee of Visakhapatnam base, who was held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, for his alleged involvement in sharing an OTP for activation of a WhatsApp account by a PIO, communicating with them, and sharing sensitive information relating to Naval/Defence establishments, officials said.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

He was produced before a court in Vijayawada on Tuesday, which sent him to judicial remand till October 14.

The other person to have been arrested is Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contractual driver engaged for naval officers at Visakhapatnam, who was allegedly involved in sharing sensitive information with a PIO in lieu of money, officials said.

He was produced in a court in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, which also sent him to judicial remand till October 14.

The arrests are part of a coordinated operation, titled “Operation Firewall–2026”, launched by the Counter Intelligence (CI) Cell on October 1.

Story continues below this ad

As part of this, 12 teams of the CI cell were deployed across 10 states and Union Territories, namely Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Goa, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

A case was registered in this regard at the Counter Intelligence Police Station, Vijayawada, on September 2 under Sections 61(2), 147 and 148 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to charges of criminal conspiracy, waging war, and conspiring to wage war or overawe the government, committed with a shared common intention. Besides, sections of the UAPA and Official Secrets Act have been slapped on the accused.

According to the FIR, the CI cell received credible information regarding certain persons in India allegedly maintaining direct contact with PIOs and their suspected involvement in an espionage conspiracy prejudicial to India’s national security.

The suspects were allegedly collecting and sharing the sensitive/classified information relating to defence establishments and strategic locations in Visakhapatnam and other parts of the country through encrypted communication channels, the FIR stated.

Story continues below this ad

In coordination with Anti-Terrorist Squads of the respective states, Naval officials and local police, the AP CI Cell investigation teams examined the alleged complicity of the 18 suspects and seized electronic gadgets from them.

The two suspects were arrested after prima facie their role was established in this case, said officials. Further investigation is underway for the remaining suspects.