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Amaravati: Female Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) are targeting Indian defence personnel for espionage operations to glean sensitive and classified information, baiting them with financial inducements, honey traps, sharing obscene pics and false promises, according to the Andhra Pradesh police.

On Tuesday, the Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence (CI) Cell revealed that it had arrested two persons, including a naval staffer, for allegedly spying for Pakistan.
Under "Operation Firewall-2026," CI Cell police arrested Pradeep Mukharjee, a navy employee from the Visakhapatnam naval base and Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian contract driver engaged for naval officers in Visakhapatnam for sharing naval and defence establishments information.
Out of 18 suspects, police said that 13 were naval personnel who were allegedly indulging in an espionage conspiracy prejudicial to national security.
"With the intent to obtain sensitive/classified information relating to defence establishments, strategic locations and naval assets in India, certain female PIOs are reportedly carrying out espionage operations targeting Indian defence personnel," the police said.
Elaborating the modus operandi of the female Pakistani handlers, police observed that they initially approach Indian defence personnel through fake social-media profiles on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Once they win their confidence and trust, police said the PIOs switch the communication to the instant messaging app WhatsApp, where targets are engaged through chats, voice calls and video calls.
The PIOs then attempt to honey trap the personnel and induce them to share sensitive defence information, including movement of ships and submarines, their numbers, photographs, videos and other classified information.In the instant case, police noted that "Joshita Pall," a PIO, initially established contact through Facebook and then subsequently shifted the communication to WhatsApp.
She introduced herself as an employee of a ship-building company in Mumbai and sought information regarding the movement and number of ships and submarines, and photographs and details of their commanding officers, besides offering monetary inducements for sharing such information, police said.
Similarly, "Anvi Mehta," another PIO, introduced herself as a psychologist based in Delhi and attempted to honey trap naval personnel through voice and video calls. She sought photographs of naval ships and sensitive establishments and attempted to induce personnel to display sensitive areas of naval establishments, ships and submarines during video calls, police said. The PIOs also induce Indian personnel to share WhatsApp OTPs, offering monetary incentives through cryptocurrency or other intermediaries.
Such OTPs are subsequently used to activate WhatsApp accounts in Pakistan, which are then allegedly utilised for further communication, honey traps and collection of sensitive defence information.
Following the compromise of the target, financial inducements are reportedly facilitated through cryptocurrency channels and other intermediaries originating from Pakistan, thereby providing a financial link between the PIOs and the targeted personnel.
Sharing a flowchart of the modus operandi, police said an "Indian mobile number OTP sharing network" gives SIM cards obtained in India in Indian names to PIOs and shares OTPs.
Then the PIOs make use of them to chat with Indian defence personnel and civilians, who accept money and "indecent proposals" to share sensitive information.
Money flows from PIOs through cryptocurrency mode via "traders" to the compromised persons, police added. The investigation is sensitive and ongoing, police added.


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