The National Investigation Agency has arrested three contract employees working at the naval bases in Karnataka’s Karwar and Kerala’s Kochi on the charge of leaking sensitive and confidential information related to the defence establishments with operatives of Pakistan-based intelligence agencies.

The agency said Vethan Laxman Tandel and Akshay Ravi Naik, who worked as contract employees at the Karwar base, were arrested from Uttara Kannada in Karnataka while Abhilash PA at the Kochi base was held in Kerala. The trio were arrested with the assistance of local police and were allegedly found to have been in contact with Pakistan intelligence operatives (PIOs) through social media.

“A probe has revealed that they were sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments at the Karwar naval base and the Kochi naval base and were receiving money from PIOs,” said an NIA official. The agency, however, did not disclose the nature of information the trio had allegedly shared with the PIOs.

“The accused were contractual employees at the two naval bases and shared sensitive information through several communication channels, including social media platforms. They were taken into custody and brought to Hyderabad for further questioning to unearth the larger conspiracy,” the official said.

The agency has arrested eight people in connection with the espionage case. Developed under Project Seabird by the Centre, Karwar is a strategic base for the navy.

The NIA chargesheeted five persons, including two absconding Pakistani operatives, in the case that was registered by the Counter Intelligence Cell, Andhra Pradesh, in January 2021. The anti-terror agency took over the case in June 2023.

The NIA probe revealed that Pakistan national Meer Balaj Khan and Akash Solanki, who has been arrested, were allegedly involved in espionage related to the leaking of sensitive information about the navy as part of an “anti-India conspiracy”.