New Delhi: A special court in Visakhapatnam has sentenced two men linked to a Pakistan-based espionage network in connection with the high-profile naval spying case that exposed the leak of classified information from Indian Navy establishments. With this ruling, four people have now been convicted in the case, which revealed the depth of infiltration into India’s defence system.
Mohammad Haroon Haji Abdul Rehman Lakdawala from Mumbai received five and a half years of simple imprisonment, while Imran Yakub Giteli from Godhra, Gujarat, was sentenced to six years. Both were convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their involvement in passing sensitive defence information and aiding the network’s funding operations.
The investigation, taken over by national agencies in late 2019, uncovered a large espionage ring allegedly operated by Pakistani intelligence. So far, 15 people have been arrested, including 11 Indian Navy personnel, for their roles in sharing classified data from naval bases in Visakhapatnam, Karwar, and Kochi.
The probe revealed that operatives based in Pakistan used social media to contact individuals working in or linked to defence establishments, often employing honey-trap tactics to extract information. Once recruited, the individuals were tasked with gathering details about Indian Navy ships, submarines, and their movements, which were then sent through encrypted platforms like WhatsApp.
Financial transactions formed another layer of the operation. Lakdawala and Giteli were found to have been in constant communication with foreign handlers, using unauthorised cross-border trade in garments and other goods to channel funds into India. This money was used to pay naval personnel and civilian collaborators for leaking sensitive information.
Both men, who had family links in Pakistan and had travelled there in the past, were arrested in 2020 and found to be working as conduits for foreign intelligence. The case continues against several others, including the Pakistani masterminds still at large, as authorities aim to dismantle the entire espionage network that endangered national security.
