Female Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) are targeting Indian defence personnel for espionage operations to glean sensitive and classified information, baiting them with financial inducements, honey traps, sharing obscene pics and false promises, according to the Andhra Pradesh police, as reported by the Deccan Chronicle.
On Tuesday, the Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence (CI) Cell revealed that it had arrested two persons, including a naval staffer, for allegedly spying for Pakistan.
Under “Operation Firewall-2026,” CI Cell police arrested Pradeep Mukharjee, a navy employee from the Visakhapatnam naval base, and Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contract driver engaged for naval officers in Visakhapatnam, for sharing naval and defence establishments information.
Out of 18 suspects, police said that 13 were naval personnel who were allegedly indulging in an espionage conspiracy prejudicial to national security.
“With the intent to obtain sensitive/classified information relating to defence establishments, strategic locations and naval assets in India, certain female PIOs are reportedly carrying out espionage operations targeting Indian defence personnel,” the police said.
These incidents raise security concerns for defence personnel and their families in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as sensitive information crucial to national security is at risk of being compromised.