Operation Sindoor: Pakistan spy lures Indian Navy clerk with cryptocurrency for sensitive info

Lured by cryptocurrency payments, Yadav shared information with a suspected handler posing as 'Priya Sharma'. The arrest followed a 2022 espionage case involving another employee, highlighting a concerning trend.

Jaipur: A Pakistani ISI handler attempted to extract sensitive details about Operation Sindoor from an Upper Division Clerk (UDC) at the Naval Headquarters in Delhi, allegedly using cryptocurrency payments as bait for leaking classified military information. The officer, identified as Vishal Yadav, was arrested and taken to Jaipur on espionage charges.

Yadav came under the scanner during a probe into a 2022 espionage case involving Ravi Prakash Meena, a Class IV employee posted at Sena Bhawan in Delhi. He was arrested by Rajasthan Police’s intelligence wing in October 2022 for allegedly sharing confidential military data with Pakistani handlers. Several suspicious social media accounts were placed under surveillance, including one named ‘Priya Sharma.’ 

Investigations revealed that Meena had been honeytrapped on Facebook by a woman posing as Anjali Tiwari, while Yadav allegedly sent sensitive details to Priya Sharma. According to reports, payments were made to Yadav in small instalments, ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 for low-level information and up to Rs 50,000 for high-value intelligence. Some transactions involved USDT cryptocurrency. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, USDT doesn’t fluctuate wildly in price and allows for quick and low-cost money transfers across borders.

Investigators probed Yadav's phone and recovered encrypted messages, financial records and sensitive files. He was also found to be a regular user of online gaming platforms. He has been remanded to four days of police custody after being produced in the court on Thursday.