NIA conducts searches in seven states to probe leakage of defence secrets through Pak-based spy ring

New Delhi, Aug 29: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday stated that it has conducted searches at multiple locations across seven states to investigate a case of classified defence information leak through a Pakistani espionage racket.

A senior official in the anti-terror agency said, the premises searched were linked with suspects, who had received money from Pakistan to undertake spying activities in India.

“Extensive searches were conducted at 16 locations in Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana in connection with the case that relates to leakage of classified defence information through a Pakistani ISI espionage racket,” he said.

The official added that 22 mobile phones and a host of sensitive documents were seized during the searches conducted by the agency.

The NIA took over the probe into the case in July 2023, which was originally registered in January 2021 by the counter-intelligence cell of Andhra Pradesh.

“The case involved the leakage of sensitive vital information pertaining to the Indian Navy as part of an anti-India conspiracy hatched from across the border,” the official said, adding that the investigations in the high-profile case were still going on.

On July 19, 2023, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against two accused, including an absconding Pakistani national identified as Meer Balaj Khan. “Investigations revealed that Khan, along with the arrested accused, Akash Solanki, had been involved in the espionage racket,” the official said.

On November 6, 2023, the NIA had filed a supplementary chargesheet against two more accused, Manmohan Surendra Panda and Alven.

“While Panda has been arrested, Alven, a Pakistani intelligence operative, is on the run,” he said.

In May 2024, the NIA had filed its second supplementary chargesheet against one accused, Amaan Salim Shaikh, for conspiring with Pakistan intelligence operatives, the official added.