Gujarat Man Arrested for Espionage Activities Related to Coast Guard

A man from Gujarat has been arrested for allegedly providing sensitive information regarding Indian Coast Guard operations to a Pakistani agent. The individual, identified as Pankaj Kotiya, reportedly shared detailed data about Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessels and their operations at Porbandar's jetty with an agent posing as a Mumbai-based woman, known by the alias "Riya."

The arrest was made by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which traced the WhatsApp messages Kotiya sent containing the sensitive information to a Pakistani number. Kotiya, a casual laborer working at the jetty, had been in contact with the agent for approximately eight months, having initially connected through Facebook. During this period, the agent, who claimed to work for the Indian Navy, lured Kotiya into sharing the details.

Over the span of the engagement, Kotiya received a total of Rs 26,000, paid in installments via UPI, for providing intelligence about the locations of ICG ships and other security details related to the jetty. The exchange was carefully planned, with Kotiya unknowingly being manipulated into espionage activities by the Pakistani handler.