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Pakistan-Linked Espionage Probe Targets 13 Navy Personnel
M
Moneycontrol•07-10-2026, 09:50
Pakistan-Linked Espionage Probe Targets 13 Navy Personnel
- •Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence Cell is leading Operation Firewall-2026, investigating 18 people including 13 Navy personnel for alleged espionage linked to Pakistan.
- •Searches have been conducted across 10 states and Union Territories, focusing on the transmission of sensitive defence information regarding naval installations in Visakhapatnam.
- •Two individuals, naval base employee Pradeep Mukherjee and contractual driver Annam Sai Varaprasad, have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody until October 14.
- •The probe was launched following an FIR registered on September 2 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, UAPA, and Official Secrets Act regarding classified data shared via encrypted channels.
- •Investigators have seized electronic devices and are analyzing digital communications, financial transactions, and suspected contacts with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives.
Key Questions Answered
Operation Firewall-2026 is a multi-state espionage probe launched on October 1, 2026, by Andhra Pradesh's Counter Intelligence Cell to investigate a suspected Pakistan-linked network sharing sensitive defence information.
A total of 18 people are under investigation in the current probe, which notably includes 13 personnel from the Indian Navy.
Two people have been arrested: Pradeep Mukherjee, a Visakhapatnam naval base employee arrested in Coimbatore for sharing an OTP and defence data, and Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contractual driver accused of sharing sensitive information for money.
