The Counter Intelligence Cell of the Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Department has announced the discovery of an alleged espionage module in which 18 people, including 13 Indian Navy personnel, are suspected of passing sensitive naval information to Pakistani intelligence operatives. Two of the suspects have been arrested.
What the police have disclosed
According to a release issued by officials on Tuesday, October 6, the suspects were allegedly sharing information related to defence establishments and strategic locations at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base and elsewhere in the country with Pakistani intelligence operatives. The investigators acted on a tip-off and registered a case with the Counter Intelligence police in Vijayawada under Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, along with other provisions.
One of those arrested is Annam Sai Vara Prasad, a civilian contract driver engaged for naval officers, who was taken into custody in Visakhapatnam. Officials allege he shared classified information on naval establishments with a Pakistan-based operative in exchange for money. He was produced before a court and sent to judicial remand at the Visakhapatnam jail till October 14.
The honey-trap angle
The second arrest is 31-year-old sailor Pradeep Mukherjee, detained on October 3 at INS Agrani, the Navy's leadership training establishment in Coimbatore. Mukherjee, a West Bengal native who joined the Indian Navy as a sailor in 2014, was posted under the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam and was attending a management development course in Coimbatore, where he had arrived about a week earlier.
According to official sources cited in the reporting, a female Pakistani intelligence operative contacted Mukherjee on social media several months ago. The relationship built up online was then allegedly used to extract details concerning strategic naval assets, fleet movements, and operational arrangements connected with the Visakhapatnam base. The counter-intelligence sleuths had placed him under surveillance after detecting suspicious digital footprints.
A ten-state operation
The crackdown, named "Operation Firewall-2026", deployed 12 Counter Intelligence teams across Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The teams worked with Naval officers, Anti-Terrorist Squads and local police to search the premises of the 18 suspects, examine their suspected involvement and seize their electronic equipment.
The case echoes a similar episode from 2019, when seven Navy sailors were arrested under "Operation Dolphin Nose" for allegedly leaking information to Pakistani handlers. The NIA eventually arrested 15 accused in that case, and six had been convicted and sentenced by November 2025.
Officials say the investigation into the current module is continuing, and the allegations against the remaining suspects remain under investigation. No further details on the nature of the information allegedly passed have been officially confirmed.
Sources:
- The Hindu: Two arrested; 13 Navy personnel among 18 under scanner for alleged leaks to Pakistan intelligence operatives
- Deccan Chronicle: AP Police Arrest Navy Sailor Over Alleged Pak-Linked Honey Trap
What the police have disclosed
According to a release issued by officials on Tuesday, October 6, the suspects were allegedly sharing information related to defence establishments and strategic locations at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base and elsewhere in the country with Pakistani intelligence operatives. The investigators acted on a tip-off and registered a case with the Counter Intelligence police in Vijayawada under Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, along with other provisions.
One of those arrested is Annam Sai Vara Prasad, a civilian contract driver engaged for naval officers, who was taken into custody in Visakhapatnam. Officials allege he shared classified information on naval establishments with a Pakistan-based operative in exchange for money. He was produced before a court and sent to judicial remand at the Visakhapatnam jail till October 14.
The honey-trap angle
The second arrest is 31-year-old sailor Pradeep Mukherjee, detained on October 3 at INS Agrani, the Navy's leadership training establishment in Coimbatore. Mukherjee, a West Bengal native who joined the Indian Navy as a sailor in 2014, was posted under the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam and was attending a management development course in Coimbatore, where he had arrived about a week earlier.
According to official sources cited in the reporting, a female Pakistani intelligence operative contacted Mukherjee on social media several months ago. The relationship built up online was then allegedly used to extract details concerning strategic naval assets, fleet movements, and operational arrangements connected with the Visakhapatnam base. The counter-intelligence sleuths had placed him under surveillance after detecting suspicious digital footprints.
A ten-state operation
The crackdown, named "Operation Firewall-2026", deployed 12 Counter Intelligence teams across Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The teams worked with Naval officers, Anti-Terrorist Squads and local police to search the premises of the 18 suspects, examine their suspected involvement and seize their electronic equipment.
The case echoes a similar episode from 2019, when seven Navy sailors were arrested under "Operation Dolphin Nose" for allegedly leaking information to Pakistani handlers. The NIA eventually arrested 15 accused in that case, and six had been convicted and sentenced by November 2025.
Officials say the investigation into the current module is continuing, and the allegations against the remaining suspects remain under investigation. No further details on the nature of the information allegedly passed have been officially confirmed.
Sources:
- The Hindu: Two arrested; 13 Navy personnel among 18 under scanner for alleged leaks to Pakistan intelligence operatives
- Deccan Chronicle: AP Police Arrest Navy Sailor Over Alleged Pak-Linked Honey Trap
