NIA arrests 3 men for leaking sensitive defence information to Pakistan

The NIA has arrested three men for leaking sensitive information to Pakistan-based intelligence operatives, the anti-terror federal agency said on Wednesday.

They were sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments at Karwar Naval Base and Kochi Naval Base, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement.

While Vethan Laxman Tandel and Akshay Ravi Naik were picked up from Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, Abhilash P A was arrested from Kochi in Kerala, the agency said.

All three accused persons arrested on Tuesday with the assistance of local police were found to have been in contact with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) through social media, it said.

As per NIA investigations, they were sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments at Karwar Naval Base and Kochi Naval Base and were receiving money from PIOs in exchange for the information.

A total of eight people have been arrested so far in the case, including these three, the statement said.

NIA has so far chargesheeted five persons, including two absconding Pakistani operatives, in the case that was originally registered by the Counter Intelligence Cell, Andhra Pradesh in January 2021.

NIA investigations have revealed that Pakistan national Meer Balaj Khan and one Akash Solanki -- who has been arrested -- were involved in the espionage racket related to leaking of sensitive vital information about the Indian Navy as part of an anti-India conspiracy, it said.

Another absconding PIO, Alven, and two others -- Manmohan Surendra Panda and Amaan Salim Shaikh -- have also been chargesheeted by the NIA. The agency took over the case in June 2023.

The anti-terror agency will continue its probe in the case to unravel the espionage conspiracy by Pak-based and other anti-national elements, the statement said.