Andhra Pradesh police arrest two in alleged Pakistan espionage case

The Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence Cell has arrested two individuals, including a naval employee, for allegedly spying for Pakistan-based intelligence operatives. The arrests are part of a larger investigation into an espionage module involving 18 suspects, 13 of whom are reported to be naval personnel.

Authorities identified the arrested individuals as Pradeep Mukherjee, a naval employee at the Visakhapatnam naval base, and Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contract driver for naval officers. Mukherjee was apprehended in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, while Varaprasad was arrested in Visakhapatnam. Both have been sent to judicial custody in Vijayawada.

Under the coordinated effort known as ‘Operation Firewall–2026’, counter intelligence teams worked across 10 Indian states to investigate the suspects. The group is accused of using encrypted communication channels to share sensitive and classified information regarding defense establishments and strategic locations, including Visakhapatnam, with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).