Shocking Details Revealed In Indian Navy Honey Trap Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said it has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Imran Yakub Giteli aka Giteli Imran, one of the prime accused in the Visakhapatnam espionage racket at the NIA Special court in Vijayawada.

An NIA spokesperson said that Yakub Imran Giteli, a resident of Godhra, Panchmahal in Gujarat was reportedly in contact with Pakistani ISI agents and he was charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. He mediated with the Navy personnel who supplied sensitive data. 

According to reports, Giteli used to meet the ISI Pakistani agents during his visits to Pakistan. The 38-year-old Giteli said that "On the instructions of Pakistani ISI agents, he was transferring money into the accounts of Navy personnel for passing on sensitive and strategic information.”

Giteli was raising funds for terrorist activities in the garb of illegal cloth business. He was arrested in September last year. The official said, “Investigations have revealed a wide  organised network of Pakistan-based espionage activities in India utilising services of operatives like Giteli."

The case was first filed on November 16, 2019 at the CI Cell division of Andhra Pradesh Police under criminal conspiracy and waging or attempting to wage war against the Indian government and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 3 of Official Secrets Act. Later, on December 29th, 2019, the NIA took over the case as the espionage case had links to Mumbai naval base, Karwar naval base and the Visakhapatnam navy. A chargesheet was filed against 14 persons, including a few sailors and civilians by the NIA.

The operation 'Dolphin’s Nose' was jointly executed by the Counter-Intelligence Department, Vijayawada, Navy Intelligence Department and the Central Intelligence Agencies. They tracked the movements of seven sailors of the Navy for many days and arrested them in 2019. 

The sailors who have been arrested were honey trapped in September 2018. A few women allegedly lured the sailors on social media groups through chats and messages. The navy personnel used to share sensitive information for monetary gains.