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India Busts Pakistan Linked Espionage Network Targeting Eastern Naval Command
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Firstpost•07-10-2026, 16:04
India Busts Pakistan Linked Espionage Network Targeting Eastern Naval Command
- •A joint operation code-named Operation Firewall-2026 uncovered a Pakistan-linked spy network targeting India's Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
- •Eighteen suspects, including 13 naval personnel across 10 states, have been put under the scanner with two arrests made so far.
- •Pakistani intelligence operatives allegedly used fake social media profiles of women to honey-trap defense personnel and extract sensitive information about naval installations.
- •Investigators seized mobile phones and digital devices while specialized counter-intelligence teams continue multi-state operations.
Key Questions Answered
The operation, code-named “Operation Firewall-2026”, was conducted by Andhra Pradesh’s Counter Intelligence Cell alongside Naval Intelligence, anti-terror squads, and local police across 10 states.
Two men have been arrested so far: naval personnel Pradeep Mukherjee, who was arrested in Coimbatore while training at INS Agrani, and Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contract driver arrested in Visakhapatnam.
Operatives allegedly used fake social media profiles of women—such as "Joshita Pall" and "Anvi Mehta"—on platforms like Facebook before moving conversations to WhatsApp, building familiarity to extract sensitive naval details.
