Andhra Pradesh Police CI cell arrested Indian Navy sailor Pradeep Mukherjee at INS Agrani for transmitting maritime intelligence to a Pakistani operative.
Published: October 4, 2026, 4:29 PM IST
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Honey-trap espionage racket- AI Image
In a significant counter-espionage operation, official sources confirmed on Sunday that an Indian Navy sailor accused of transmitting classified maritime intelligence to a Pakistani operative has been arrestedThe espionage network reportedly trapped 31-year-old Pradeep Mukherjee through a social media “honey-trap” setupThe operation was executed on October 3 by the Andhra Pradesh Police Counter Intelligence (CI) cell at INS Agrani, a premier naval leadership training facility located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Mukherjee, a native of West Bengal who joined the Indian Navy in 2014, was actively posted with the Eastern Naval Command based in VisakhapatnamAt the time of his arrest, he was attending a management development course at the Coimbatore facility, where he had been stationed for approximately one week before law enforcement agencies took him into custody.
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A female Pakistani intelligence operative reportedly contacted Mukherjee several months agoOver time, the handler leveraged the online relationship to extract sensitive data regarding strategic naval assets, fleet movements, and the operational framework of the Visakhapatnam base.
Key Operational Highlights
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Honey-Trap Operative: Investigation reveals that the suspect was targeted and compromised on social media by a Pakistani intelligence handler using a fictitious identity.
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Arrest During Training: The AP Counter Intelligence cell tracked Mukherjee to INS Agrani in Coimbatore, where he had arrived a week prior to undertake a leadership management development course.
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Eastern Naval Command Link: Given his active operational posting with the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, intelligence agencies are assessing the extent of sensitive maritime data shared.
The CI cell, a specialised unit tasked with countering cross-border espionage and terror threats, initiated the investigation after detecting suspicious digital footprints linked to the sailor, subsequently placing him under surveillance.
