2 men from Karnataka and one from Kerala arrested for leaking Navy secrets to Pakistan’s ISI: NIA

The National Investigation Agency announced on Wednesday the arrests of three people in the Visakhapatnam espionage case, in which sensitive and classified naval defence information was allegedly leaked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

Vethan Laxman Tandel and Akshay Ravi Naik were picked up in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, while Abhilash P A was arrested in Kochi, Kerala.

According to the NIA, the three accused were found to have been in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives on social media, sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments at the Karwar and Kochi naval bases in exchange for money.

The NIA has charged five other accused in the case—Akash Solanki, Manmohan Surendra Panda and Amaan Salim Shaikh as well as absconding Pakistani spies Meer Balaj Khan and Alven.