Itanagar: Police in Arunachal Pradesh have arrested two more persons from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in connection with an alleged espionage case involving the collection and sharing of sensitive information with “handlers based in Pakistan”, officials said on Tuesday.
The newly arrested accused have been identified as Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai. With these arrests, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to five.
Arunachal’s Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa told reporters that the arrests were made on December 18 following sustained intelligence-based operations. He said the accused were brought from Kupwara to Arunachal Pradesh and are currently lodged in police custody for further interrogation.
According to the IGP, preliminary investigation suggests that the accused were collecting sensitive and strategic information from different parts of Arunachal Pradesh and transmitting it to their handlers operating from across the border. He added that several electronic devices seized during the operation have been sent for forensic examination, and the investigation is continuing.
“We are awaiting forensic reports. Initial findings indicate that sensitive information was being shared with handlers. Further details will emerge as the investigation progresses,” Apa said.
The case came to light earlier on November 21 when Itanagar Police arrested Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, both residents of Kupwara, after receiving inputs about their alleged involvement in espionage-related activities. Subsequently, another accused, Shabir Ahmed Khan, also from Kupwara, was arrested from the Itanagar Capital Region.
Police officials claimed that the accused frequently travelled across various districts of Arunachal Pradesh, “often posing as blanket sellers, which enabled them to move freely and gather information without attracting suspicion”. (KNT)
