Story perspectives

Andhra Police Arrest Navy-Linked Suspects in Pak Espionage

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 7:04 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Andhra Police Arrest Spies

Andhra Pradesh police arrested two suspects for allegedly passing defence information to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
The espionage module involved 18 people, including 13 Navy personnel linked to Visakhapatnam Naval Base.
Annam Sai Varaprasad, a driver for naval officers, was arrested in Visakhapatnam for sharing classified data.
Operation Firewall-2026 deployed 12 counter-intelligence teams across ten states and seized electronic devices from all suspects.

Summary

Magistrate Transfers Mukherjee

A local magistrate issued a transit warrant and transferred Mukherjee to the CI headquarters in Vijayawada.
The CI cell is examining Mukherjee’s financial records for possible hawala or digital payments.
Assistant Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha oversees the file-volume probe.
Investigators placed Mukherjee under electronic surveillance for months to trace the honey-trap operation.

History

Historical Context

After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, India passed the National Investigation Agency Act, receiving presidential assent on 31 December 2008 and establishing the NIA on 20 January 2009. The agency’s nationwide jurisdiction and power to take over state investigations created a counter-terrorism framework. That framework underpins today’s Operation Firewall-2026, led by Andhra Pradesh Police chief Annam Sai Varaprasad and ADG Mahesh Chandra Laddha, to curb alleged Pakistani intelligence activity.

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Andhra Police Arrest Spies

Andhra Pradesh police arrested two suspects for allegedly passing defence information to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
The espionage module involved 18 people, including 13 Navy personnel linked to Visakhapatnam Naval Base.
Annam Sai Varaprasad, a driver for naval officers, was arrested in Visakhapatnam for sharing classified data.
Operation Firewall-2026 deployed 12 counter-intelligence teams across ten states and seized electronic devices from all suspects.

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