Ernakulam: Expediting the investigation into the Visakhapatnam espionage case, officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested three more persons including a former trainee at the Cochin Shipyard for allegedly leaking sensitive and classified naval defence information. With this, the total number of arrestees in the case has gone up to eight.
As per reports, among the arrested is PA Abhilash, a native of Kadamakkudy and the ex-trainee at the Cochin Shipyard. Two others, Vethan Laxman Tandal and Akshay Ravi Naik, both from Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, were also taken into custody.
The case involves leakage of sensitive strategic information concerning India’s defence sector to Pakistani intelligence agencies. With assistance from local police, Abhilash was arrested from Kochi after the NIA found evidence that he had provided classified details about Indian defence establishments in Kochi and the Karwar naval headquarters to Pakistan in exchange for money.
Abhilash had been under the NIA surveillance for quite some time. Earlier in 2023, he, along with Abhishek, a welder-cum-fitter at Cochin Shipyard, was questioned by the agency regarding their alleged involvement in sharing critical information to a Pakistani spy they met through social media. Although Abhilash was initially released, the NIA continued to monitor his activities closely.
Prior to this, the agency had arrested five other accused in connection with the case.
The NIA took over the investigation in June 2023 after a case was registered by the Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence Cell. The authorities have intensified probe to uncover further details about the espionage network.
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