Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:46am on 08 Oct 2026,Thursday India Global
Investigators probing the Visakhapatnam spying case allege that Pakistan-based intelligence operatives used social media and WhatsApp to honey-trap and blackmail civilians and naval personnel into sharing information. Annam Sai Varaprasad, a civilian driver at the naval base, was allegedly approached by a woman posing as a shipping firm employee, who gradually extracted details about his work before threatening him over sexually explicit exchanges. He allegedly shared information on naval assets and officials. A trainee sailor, Pradeep Mukharjee, was similarly allegedly trapped by an operative posing as a medical professional and forced to share facility details and WhatsApp OTPs. Authorities raided 18 locations, arrested both men, and are investigating 16 others for involvement. (PC: X)
