The Andhra Pradesh Counter‑Intelligence Cell filed a case under Sections 61(2), 147 and 148 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, on September 2, treating the alleged espionage as a grave threat to national security.
Operation Firewall‑2026, launched on October 1, deployed 12 CI Cell teams across ten states and Goa, coordinating with the Special Task Forces of Andhra, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and naval officials to scrutinise an 18‑person module.
The module comprised 13 naval personnel and five civilians, all accused of gathering and transmitting classified data on naval bases and strategic locations via encrypted messaging apps.
Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contract driver, was arrested in Visakhapatnam for relaying sensitive naval intelligence to a Pakistan‑based operative in exchange for money, and is in district jail pending remand until October 14 2026; Pradeep Mukharjee, a naval officer at Visakhapatnam base, was taken into custody in Coimbatore after supplying an OTP that activated a PIO’s WhatsApp account, facing charges under the Official Secrets Act.
Investigators revealed that Pakistani operatives used fake social‑media profiles and offered cryptocurrency payments to acquire OTPs, enabling access to confidential images and videos of naval vessels; authorities warn that sharing OTPs or classified details with unauthorised persons can lead to prosecution under Sections 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the remaining 16 suspects are under ongoing investigation with the next court hearing slated for October 15 2026.