Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Police have arrested two more persons from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district in connection with an espionage case, officials said on Monday.
The arrests have taken the total number of accused in the case to five.
The two arrested men have been identified as Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai.
Speaking to reporters, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa said the arrests were made on December 18 and both were later brought to Arunachal Pradesh from Kupwara.
"They are currently in police custody. With this, the total number of trust in the case has risen to five," he added.
Apa also said that the accused were allegedly involved in collecting sensitive information from different parts of the state and passing it on to handlers based outside the country.
“The initial findings suggest that they were gathering sensitive details and sharing them with their handlers. We are waiting for forensic reports, and the investigation is still ongoing. More information will come out as the probe progresses,” the IGP added.
The case first came to light on November 21, when police arrested Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, both residents of Kupwara district, based on specific intelligence inputs. Subsequently, another accused, Shabir Ahmed Khan, also from Kupwara, was arrested from Itanagar.
The top cop said the police were acting on intelligence inputs about a spy network operating in Arunachal Pradesh, adding, "The arrests were made under the supervision of Itanagar Superintendent of Police Jummar Basar."
“Two of the accused were arrested from Kupwara, while the remaining three were picked up from different locations within the Itanagar Capital Region,” he said.
The senior police officer further stated that the accused were posing as blanket sellers and were travelling to various parts of the state, allegedly to collect information.
He further advised residents to be cautious while renting out accommodation.
“I urge people in Itanagar to properly verify documents and inform the police before allowing anyone to stay in their houses on rent. Failing to do so can lead to serious problems,” the IGP added.