Gujarat man shares intel on Coast Guard with Pakistani spy for rs 200 a day, arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Gujarat, November 30, 2024: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested a contractual worker for allegedly putting “national security at risk" by sharing sensitive information on Indian Coast Guard ships with Pakistani agents.

The accused, Dipesh, reportedly used to receive Rs 200 per day for sharing intelligence about the movement of Coast Guard ships and had received a total of Rs 42,000 from a Pakistani agent.

Dipesh, who worked at the Okha port, had been in touch with the Pakistani agent with whom he was connected through the social media platform Facebook, said officials aware of the matter.

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.

“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," Gujarat ATS officer K Siddharth said.

As a contractual worker, Dipesh had easy access to the Coast Guard ships at the Okha Port, said the ATS, adding that he received the money in exchange for his friend’s account since he didn’t own any.

“Pakistan’s Navy or ISI agents are seeking people who can provide information about Indian Coast Guard boats for a small sum. For a long time, Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad, working with the Coast Guard, has been intercepting drugs along India’s maritime borders. In such cases, details about Coast Guard boats could be valuable to Pakistan’s military and agents. During a conflict, sharing this information could be especially dangerous for us," K Siddharth was quoted as saying by India Today.

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.