Two Kashmir Residents Arrested in Arunachal for Alleged Espionage

Itanagar, Dec 23: Arunachal Pradesh Police have arrested two more men from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district for allegedly spying and passing sensitive information to handlers based in Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five.

The latest accused, identified as Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai, were arrested on December 18 and brought to Arunachal Pradesh, where they are currently in police custody, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa said.

According to the IGP, the accused were collecting sensitive information from different parts of the state and sharing it with Pakistani handlers. “We are awaiting the forensic report. Preliminary investigation suggests that they were transmitting sensitive information to handlers across the border. The investigation is ongoing and more details will emerge,” Apa said.

Earlier, on November 21, police had arrested Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, both residents of Kupwara, after receiving credible intelligence inputs about their involvement in espionage activities. Subsequently, Shabir Ahmed Khan, also from Kupwara, was arrested from Itanagar.

Apa said police had been tracking credible intelligence about a spy network operating in Arunachal Pradesh. “Under the leadership of Itanagar SP Jummar Basar, teams worked diligently and made these arrests. Two accused were arrested from Kupwara, while three were apprehended from different locations in the Itanagar Capital Region,” he said.

The arrested individuals were mostly blanket sellers who travelled extensively across the state, allegedly using their movement to gather information, the IGP added.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and verify documents before renting out accommodation. “People should verify documents with the police before allowing anyone to stay on rent. Failure to do so may land them in trouble,” Apa cautioned. (Agencies)