Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh police has arrested two men from Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly spying and collecting sensitive information for handlers based in Pakistan, an official said on Tuesday.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa said the duo was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on December 18 and subsequently brought to Arunachal Pradesh, where they are currently in police custody.
The arrested persons have been identified as Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai.
With the latest arrests, the total number of accused held in the espionage case has risen to five.
Police said the arrests were made on December 18. The accused have been brought to the state from the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir and they are currently in our police custody. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to five,” Apa said.
The police official said the accused were gathering sensitive information from various parts of Arunachal Pradesh and passing it on to their handlers in Pakistan.
“We are waiting for the forensic report. The preliminary investigation revealed that they are sharing sensitive information with the handlers across the country. Our investigation is on and further details will be rolled out during our investigation,” the IGP said.
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On November 21, the police arrested Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, both residents of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir, after receiving credible information about their possible involvement in espionage activities. Subsequently, another accused, Shabir Ahmed Khan, who also belongs to Kupwara, was arrested in Itanagar.
Authorities urged residents of Itanagar and Arunachal Pradesh to ensure police verification for outsiders staying on their property to prevent misuse.
