The Intelligence, Navy, and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of about 10 States launched a thorough probe into the espionage conspiracy, in which sensitive information was reportedly leaked to Pakistani handlers.
The Counter Intelligence police registered a case on September 9, 2026, after some Navy personnel and civilians reportedly shared sensitive information related to defence establishments and strategic locations at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base and other parts of the country with the Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs)
Investigating teams of the Counter Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the A.P. Intelligence, who held meetings with their counterparts, launched a joint probe into the matter along with other investigation agencies.
According to the investigating officials, the accused reportedly used encrypted communication channels to share the data. They said that strategic locations in Visakhapatnam, classified information related to defence establishments and other parts of the country, were reportedly leaked to the PIOs.
The Intelligence officials are trying to find out if any of the suspects visited Pakistan as part of the conspiracy and met the PIOs, whether they planned any attacks, and whether personnel from other Naval commands are involved in the espionage module.
Meanwhile, police, who sent the seized electronic gadgets to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), are verifying whether there were any financial transactions involved and whether there were any suspicious contacts of the accused.
The CIC personnel seized the CCTV footages from different locations, mobile phones data and the encrypted communication channels used by the suspects.
The crackdown on the suspects began after gathering prime facie evidence on their involvement in the racket. The accused had leaked sensitive data, prejudicial to the national security, the Intelligence officials probing the case said on Tuesday.
Published – October 06, 2026 08:57 pm IST
