KARWAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested three men on charges of espionage for allegedly sharing sensitive information and photographs of the INS Kadamba naval base with enemy countries. The accused—Vethan Tandel from Mudga, Sunil from Thodur, and Akshay Naik from Halavalli—were reportedly honey-trapped by a Pakistani woman who posed as a marine officer.
Investigations revealed that the Pakistani agent befriended the trio on Facebook in 2023. She obtained classified details about the arrival and departure of warships and other security information by building a rapport with them. Vethan Tandel received information from friends and relatives working at the naval base, while Sunil had left his job at the base three years ago and had moved to Goa.
The NIA reported that the agent paid the men Rs 5,000 each month for the information. Vethan and Akshay were on her payroll for eight months, while Sunil blocked her after receiving payments for four months. Mobile phones and electronic devices were seized during the arrest.
This case is linked to a similar espionage case in Visakhapatnam in 2023, involving Deepak and his associates, who revealed the Karwar network under interrogation. Based on this connection, NIA sleuths arrested the three men on August 28.
Further investigations are underway, with Vethan directed to Hyderabad for questioning and Akshay scheduled to appear before NIA officers next week.
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