Gujarat man arrested for sharing Coast Guard intel with Pakistani spy for Rs 200 a day

By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Nov 30, 2024, 10:50 AM IST

Contract worker arrested for selling Indian Coast Guard ship details to Pakistani intelligence. Learn how a Facebook connection turned into a national security threat. Uncover the details of this shocking espionage case.

A contract employee was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for allegedly endangering "national security" by giving Pakistani operatives access to private information about Indian Coast Guard ships. According to reports, the accused, Dipesh, received a total of Rs 42,000 from a Pakistani agent in exchange for providing intelligence on the movements of Coast Guard ships. He allegedly earned Rs 200 every day. According to officials with knowledge of the situation, Dipesh, who was employed at the port of Okha, had spoken with the Pakistani agent he was connected to via Facebook.

The Pakistani agent, who used the alias Sahima, connected with Dipesh on Facebook and remained in close contact through WhatsApp. He used to take information on names and numbers of the Coast Guard ships stationed at Okha port.

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Speaking to the media, Gujarat ATS officer K Siddharth said, “We received information that a man from Okha was sharing details about the Coast Guard boat with an agent of Pakistan’s Navy or the ISI through WhatsApp. Following an investigation, we arrested Dipesh Gohil, a resident of Okha. The number Dipesh was in contact with was traced to Pakistan."

According to the ATS, Dipesh had easy access to Coast Guard ships at the Okha Port as a contractual worker. He also said that since he didn't hold any Coast Guard accounts, he received the money in return for his friend's.

"For a nominal fee, Pakistani Navy or ISI operatives are looking for anyone who may supply intelligence regarding Indian Coast Guard vessels. Drugs have long been intercepted along India's maritime borders by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad in collaboration with the Coast Guard. In these situations, Pakistan's military and operatives may find information regarding Coast Guard vessels useful. Sharing this information might be particularly risky for us during a crisis," India Today cited K Siddharth as saying.

Dipesh used to take cash from his friend, saying the money was for his contractual work. The police recovered Rs 42,000 that he received from the Pakistani agent. In a similar incident, the Gujarat ATS arrested an individual named Pankaj Kotia from Porbandar for sharing sensitive information about the Indian Coast Guard ships with a Pakistani spy.

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