Honeytrap? NIA nabs 2 who leaked Karwar base information to Pakistan

KARWAR: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two people from Uttara Kannada district for allegedly leaking delicate information about Karwar naval base to Pakistan in an alleged case of honey-trapping, sources mentioned Tuesday.
An NIA workforce from Hyderabad took the accused – Vetana Tandel from Muduga village and Akshay Naik from Halavalli – into custody on Tuesday.

Investigators suspect the accused had been trapped by Pakistani intelligence businesses via honey-traps. A lady agent allegedly befriended them on Facebook in 2023 and coaxed them into offering labeled particulars about actions within the naval space, particulars of warships, their arrival and departure, and safety information.
In Aug 2024, NIA had questioned three people – Tandel, Naik and Sunil, from Todur – relating to the suspected espionage. While they had been initially launched, the company continued to monitor their actions.
The accused reportedly shared pictures of the Karwar base and particulars of naval actions in change for cash, mentioned to be a month-to-month payout of Rs 5,000 for eight months. The espionage ring was uncovered following the 2023 arrest of Deepak and others in Hyderabad by NIA. Authorities have traced monetary transactions linking the accused to the espionage community. Tandel and Naik had been employed on contract with Iron and Mercury, an organization in Chandya area of Karwar. Sunil, a former contract employee at Seabird naval base canteen, is now a driver.
NIA is interrogating the arrested people and has sought information on their actions. Officials are in discussions with Sea Bird officers. More arrests are doubtless as authorities suspect a wider community within the case. INS Kadamba – often known as Naval Base Karwar or Project Seabird – is a vital Indian Navy base in Karnataka. It is the third largest naval base in India and set to grow to be the biggest within the japanese hemisphere after ongoing enlargement.