Andhra Pradesh police has arrested two other suspects in an alleged espionage case involving links to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Bihar police have arrested them as part of a continuing investigation into a suspected network that misused Indian SIM cards and WhatsApp accounts to facilitate communication with foreign intelligence handlers.
These arrests are said to have been carried out by the Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence Cell as part of the second phase of Operation Firewall-2026. The suspected network is being investigated for its operations and financial activities and possible connections to persons outside India, officials said.
Raja Kumar and Aditya Kumar Pandey (aka Aditya Kumar) were identified as the two accused. They live in Raxaul village of Bihar. The police believe they are suspected of helping activate WhatsApp accounts using one-time passwords (OTPs) linked to Indian mobile numbers.
The investigation is into whether the accounts were used for communication between people in India and Pakistani intelligence operatives. These activities are part of a wider effort to find people who have been suspected of aiding foreign intelligence networks. Possible misuse of Indian SIM cards & WhatsApp accounts. Raja Kumar worked as a point of sale (POS) agent and apparently was involved in the activation of WhatsApp accounts that belonged to a number of Indian mobile numbers, investigators said, and he shared the OTPs needed for account activation with Pakistani intelligence operatives in Nepal.
Police also allege that Raja Kumar established a mobile payments bank account in another person’s name to receive money connected with the supply of SIM-card OTPs. Police are investigating the transactions to find out where the money comes from and how much of the alleged financial arrangement is being carried out.
Aditya Kumar is accused of helping Raja Kumar and others associated with the WhatsApp accounts. He communicated with Pakistani officials using encrypted platforms, investigators say. We are looking into what these communications were and of course it is very suspicious the role of the people involved,” he said.
The allegations have not been established in court and the investigation is ongoing. Court sends accused to judicial custody. After their arrest, both suspects were produced before a court in Vijayawada on Wednesday. They were remanded in judicial custody until November 10, the court said.
And the arrests follow earlier action in the same case against other people suspected of having links to Pakistani intelligence operatives. Among those arrested were Annam Sai Vara Prasad, a civilian contract driver who was employed by naval officials in Visakhapatnam, and Pradeep Mukharjee, an employee at Visakhapatnam Naval Base.
The police contend that the earlier suspects were involved in sharing sensitive defence-related information with foreign intelligence operatives. Police detectives are still trying to figure out how the suspects are connected and whether the cases are part of a larger network. Operation Firewall-2026. The arrests show that the investigation has extended beyond Andhra Pradesh into Bihar. The Counter Intelligence Cell is investigating all the possible use of mobile numbers, messaging applications, encrypted communications and financial transactions to determine how the alleged network operates.
Investigators also are trying to determine whether other people were involved in the activities of accounts or in the communication to foreign handlers. The evidence that will be gathered in the course of the investigation will be critical in determining the extent of the alleged activities.
They have not publicly revealed the full structure of the suspected network. Details will be revealed as the electronic evidence, financial records and communications are analyzed further.
For example, the case has made Indian SIM cards and messaging platforms potentially used in espionage activities. But the evidence for and against the alleged operation will be determined by the investigation and outcome of the legal proceedings.
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