Pakistan espionage module busted at Vizag Naval Base; 13 Navy personnel suspected, 2 arrested

Andhra Counter Intelligence Cell busts Pak espionage module under Operation Firewall. 18 suspects including 13 Navy personnel, 2 arrested for leaking Vizag naval base info to PIOs.

Updated : Oct 07, 2026, 12:54 PM IST

The Counter Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Department has uncovered an espionage module in which 18 people, including 13 Navy personnel, are suspected of passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives.

Two of them have been arrested, officials said in a release on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

The suspects were allegedly sharing information related to defence establishments and strategic locations at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base and other parts of the country with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

Acting on a tip-off, the Counter Intelligence police in Vijayawada registered a case under Section 61(2) of BNS, Sections 17 and 18 of UAPA, and Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act.

Under ‘Operation Firewall-2026’, 12 CIC teams were deployed to Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

The teams worked with Naval officers, Anti-Terrorist Squads and the local police to search the premises of the 18 suspects and seize electronic equipment.

One accused, Annam Sai Vara Prasad, a civilian contract driver engaged for naval officers, was arrested in Visakhapatnam for allegedly sharing classified information on naval establishments with a Pakistan-based operative and receiving money. He has been sent to judicial remand till October 14.

The second accused, Pradeep Mukherjee, a Navy employee at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base, was arrested in Coimbatore. He allegedly shared an OTP for activation of a WhatsApp account by a PIO and passed sensitive information. He was posted with the Eastern Naval Command since 2014 and was arrested on October 3 while on training in Coimbatore.

According to officials, he had been in touch with a Pakistani operative, a woman he met on social media a few months ago.

Officials are investigating how long the accused had been sharing confidential information, what data was sent, and how much money was received.