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The Indian Navy clerk posted at the naval headquarters in New Delhi was already under surveillance for two years due to his online gaming habits
The Pakistani spy, who was the navy clerk’s handler, even made some payments to him in cryptocurrency for the exchange of information. (Image for representation: Sourced)
It was his addiction to online gaming and a cryptocurrency trail that led to his downfall. The Indian Navy staffer arrested for allegedly working with a Pakistani spy was already under surveillance for two years due to his internet habits.
Vikas Yadav, an Upper Division Clerk (UDC) posted at the naval headquarters in New Delhi was nabbed from Jaipur for allegedly leaking defence-related sensitive information to a Pakistani handler in exchange for money. This allegedly included details on Operation Sindoor – strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
According to a report published by NDTV, Yadav’s name was flagged in another case of espionage, in which an employee at the Sena Bhavan is under investigation.
In the latest case, police have said Yadav started spying for Pakistan because he needed money to fund his addiction to online gaming. His addiction to online gaming may have made him more vulnerable to such traps.
The Pakistani handler, who was posing as an Indian woman under the fake identity of “Priya Sharma”, even made some payments to him in cryptocurrency for the exchange of information.
“He was lured by money and ended up leaking sensitive information from the Navy headquarters,” Inspector General of Police (CID-Security) Vishnu Kant Gupta said. “After monitoring his social media activity and confirming his links with a Pakistani handler, he was detained in Jaipur for joint interrogation involving multiple national agencies.”
HOW DID INVESTIGATORS CRACK THE CASE?
NDTV reported that intelligence operatives were looking into another alleged spy – Rajasthan resident Ravi Prakash Meena who was arrested in 2022 – when they stumbled upon Yadav.
In the older case, investigators found that Meena – a Class IV employee in the Defence Ministry’s Sena Bhawan – received money through a cryptocurrency channel for leaking sensitive information like maps to his Pakistani handler.
They put Meena’s cryptocurrency channel under surveillance, but were led to two more people through it and one of them was Yadav. It was found that he, too, was receiving money from the same cryptocurrency channel. Intelligence operatives then put Yadav under surveillance for more than two years before finally arresting him.
HOW DID IT ALL START?
Intelligence sources said Yadav was first approached on Facebook. The Pakistani handler, who went by the name of “Priya Sharma”, sent him a friend request.
They said the two started communicating regularly and eventually moved to WhatsApp and later to Telegram, a platform known for its encryption-enabled messages.
Police said Yadav initially received small payments of Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 for lower-grade information. But the handler allegedly encouraged him to provide more valuable intelligence in exchange for higher compensation. That’s when he began sharing critical defence-related data.
A forensic examination of Yadav’s mobile phone reportedly uncovered extensive evidence, including financial transactions, sensitive messages, and confidential defence data exchanged with the handler. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are probing his cryptocurrency transactions and connections.
IS THIS A CASE OF CYBER-ESPIONAGE?
The police have stressed that Pakistani intelligence agencies are using increasingly sophisticated methods to extract strategic information.
“We are keeping a constant watch on such activities, and this arrest is a result of sustained monitoring and timely action,” said IG Gupta.
Yadav was arrested on Wednesday (June 25) in Jaipur and will be subjected to a joint probe by multiple agencies. “Yadav confessed to receiving approximately Rs 2 lakh in total for the information he passed on,” the IG said. “This included Rs 50,000 for leaking information related to Operation Sindoor.”
(With PTI inputs)
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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