Itanagar, Dec 23: The Itanagar Police have arrested two persons from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district for their alleged involvement in an espionage network operating in Arunachal Pradesh and linked to handlers based in Pakistan, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa said the accused were arrested on December 18 and subsequently brought to Arunachal Pradesh, where they are currently in police custody. With these arrests, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to five.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Aijaz Ahmed Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Ganai, both residents of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to police, the accused were allegedly collecting sensitive information from various locations across Arunachal Pradesh—a strategically important border state—and transmitting it to handlers across the border.
The specific nature of the information and the locations targeted have not been disclosed due to security considerations.
The case first came to light on November 21, when police arrested Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, also from Kupwara district, following specific intelligence inputs about their suspected involvement in spying activities.
Malik was initially detained from Ganga village in Itanagar, and based on information obtained from him, Mir was arrested later the same day from Abotani Colony in the state capital.
In a related development, West Siang police arrested Hilal Ahmed, another Kupwara resident, from a shop in Aalo, the district headquarters town. He was reportedly running a cloth shop at a trade fair in the Old Market area.
Changlang police had also detained Gulam Md Mir from Miao; however, he was later released after investigators found no material evidence linking him to the espionage activities.
Mr. Apa said most of the arrested individuals posed as blanket sellers and travelled extensively across different parts of the state, allegedly using their movement to collect sensitive information.
“We were working on credible inputs about a spy ring operating out of Arunachal Pradesh. Under the leadership of Itanagar SP Jummar Basar, the team worked diligently and made these arrests.
Two were arrested from Kupwara district and three from different locations in the Itanagar Capital Region,” the IGP said.
He added that interrogation of the accused is ongoing and forensic examination reports are awaited.
“Further arrests cannot be ruled out. We will proceed based on evidence that emerges in the coming days,” he said. Following the arrests, security agencies have stepped up vigilance across the state, particularly in border and sensitive areas.
Police are also probing the wider network involved, including local contacts, communication channels and possible financial links. Expressing concern over lax verification practices, Mr. Apa appealed to citizens to remain vigilant.
“I urge the people of Arunachal Pradesh to ensure police verification before allowing anyone to stay on their property. Do not let people stay in your house without proper verification,” he said.
The case has raised serious security concerns, prompting close coordination between the state police, central intelligence agencies and other security forces operating in the region.
