Suspected ISI agent nabbed, handed over to NIA

: A suspected ISI agent Syed Ashraf was nabbed on Monday by police in Srikakulam district and handed over to the National Investigation Agency for further investigation.

On information of his movement, police laid a trap near a toll plaza at Chilakapalem on NH-16 and took Ashraf and three of his accomplices into custody while they were travelling hidden in a tomato-laden lorry,information reaching here said.

A police spokesman here said it was an operation by the NIA and the trio were taken away by the national agency.

Ashraf hailed from Chittoor district bordering Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the 10 Navy sailors and a hawala operator arrested in an espionage case in a joint operation by NIA and police last month, will be handed over to NIA custody for questioning.

They were produced in the NIA court in Vijayawada on Monday at the end of their judicial remand.

The court, while extending their judicial remand by 14 days, agreed to send the accused to NIA custody for interrogation from January 17 to 22.

The accused will be interrogated in the presence of their lawyer.