{
  "id": 12560677,
  "title": "How did a Pakistan-linked spy network target Navy’s Eastern Command, and how was it cracked? | Explained",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/how-did-a-pakistan-linked-spy-network-target-navys-eastern-command",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T06:10:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/how-did-a-pakistan-linked-spy-network-target-navys-eastern-command-and-how-was-it-cracked-explained/article71554274.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Pakistan-linked spy network, known as Operation Firewall-2026, targeted the Indian Navy's Eastern Command, with a specific focus on the Eastern Naval Command (ENC). The operation, carried out by officers and personnel from Andhra Pradesh’s Counter Intelligence Cell (CIC) and working alongside Naval Intelligence and Anti-Terrorist Squads (ATS) in 10 states, resulted in the identification of 18 key suspects, including 13 naval personnel. Two individuals, Pradeep Mukherjee and Annam Sai Vara Prasad, have been arrested thus far.\n\nThe Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) created fake profiles of women on social media, including \"Joshita Pall\" and \"Anvi Mehta,\" to honey-trap naval personnel and defence contractors. They built relationships through Facebook, WhatsApp, voice calls, and video calls, using fabricated professional identities and offering inducements such as relationships, sexually explicit content, and monetary incentives, often paid through cryptocurrency.\n\nThe ultimate goal was to persuade personnel to share sensitive defence information, including naval ship and submarine movements, photographs, videos, and details of commanding officers. Investigators also found a support network using Indian SIM cards and one-time passwords (OTPs) to communicate with foreign handlers. The modus operandi and sought intelligence were identical to a previous case in December 2019 involving Operation Dolphin’s Nose, which targeted the ENC and resulted in the arrest of 15 people, including seven naval personnel.\n\nThe ENC, located in Visakhapatnam, is home to India’s largest naval base and serves as the home port for Arihant-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Knowing the movements of a ship or naval platform in advance can make it easier for an adversary to position intelligence-gathering assets, making field-level intelligence a valuable asset for any nation.",
  "summary": "Pakistani Operatives posing as women on Facebook moved servicemen to WhatsApp and sought ship and submarine movements; 18 suspects including 13 naval personnel are under probe and two are in custody",
  "key_points": [
    "Pakistan-linked spy network, Operation Firewall-2026, targeted India's Eastern Naval Command.",
    "Two suspects arrested: Pradeep Mukherjee and Annam Sai Vara Prasad."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The busted spy network reveals a sophisticated tactic by Pakistan to infiltrate India's naval intelligence through honey-trapping, highlighting vulnerabilities in the Indian Navy's security protocols and personnel screening processes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}