Udupi Espionage Shockwave: Two UP Workers Arrested for Leaking Naval Secrets to Pakistan; Probe Points to Deeper Security Breach and a Network of Hidden Moles

In a major national security breach, Udupi Police have arrested two men from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly leaking sensitive and classified information on Indian Navy vessels under construction at the Udupi Cochin Shipyard and the Kochi Shipyard of Cochin Shipyard Limited to handlers in Pakistan.

Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar identified the accused as Rohit (29) and Santri (37), both residents of Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh.

The duo, arrested from a rented room in Udupi on November 20, were produced in court and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody.

Access Misused, Information Sold

Investigators revealed that Rohit, who had earlier worked at the Kochi Shipyard before shifting to Udupi six months ago, had been sharing highly classified technical and identification details of naval ships with Pakistani operatives for nearly 18 months.

He allegedly transmitted documents, ship identification numbers, structural specifications, and restricted data through WhatsApp and Facebook.

Police believe he received money multiple times in exchange, indicating that greed and inducement were major factors in his involvement.

His accomplice, Santri, also working as a contractual insulator at the Kochi Shipyard, is accused of passing on restricted information from Kochi to Rohit, who then relayed it to Pakistan.

Both worked for Shushma Marine Pvt. Ltd., a subcontractor for Cochin Shipyard Limited—raising serious questions about the background verification and monitoring of contractual staff in high-security maritime zones.

Who Persuaded Them? Who Handled Them?

Initial investigation suggests that Rohit first came into contact with a Pakistani intelligence-linked profile on Facebook posing as a recruiter offering money for “technical details.”

He was gradually drawn into a honey-trap–cum–financial lure network where handlers posing as civilians groomed him over months.

Police are now working to identify:

• The specific Pakistani handlers who were receiving the data
• The communication channels, fake IDs, and digital routes used
• Whether the duo was part of a larger espionage module

A Serious Security Lapse Exposed

The incident has exposed a disturbing oversight in security protocols at strategic shipyards.

The fact that contractual workers could repeatedly access sensitive material and funnel it abroad undetected for months indicates systemic loopholes that criminal networks are exploiting.

Senior analysts warn that such incidents are not isolated.

The arrest has reignited concerns that “moles after moles” may be operating inside sensitive Indian establishments, without security agencies having any clue of their functioning. The need to identify internal traitors has become critical, many experts say.

Questions are also being raised about what state-level investigative agencies, such as the CID and CBCID, have been doing to pre-empt such breaches.

Progress in the Ongoing Investigation

Police will seek custody of the accused for detailed interrogation.

Teams will investigate whether other employees, local contacts, or foreign-linked profiles are involved.

The subcontracting firm that hired the two men will also be questioned regarding background checks and access protocols.

National investigation agencies, including central intelligence units, are set to join the probe, suggesting the case may widen significantly.

The Udupi district police, led by ASP Harsha Priyamvada, are coordinating the multi-level investigation.

Analysts’ Take: Greed and Grooming Made Them Easy Targets

Intelligence experts analysing the case believe that the lure of money, the promise of “side income,” and virtual grooming by foreign intelligence operatives made the two men easy prey.

The incident underlines the urgent need for:

Mandatory psychological and integrity assessment of contract workers

Zero-trust access systems

Continuous digital surveillance of personnel linked to defence establishments

Dedicated counter-intelligence units focusing solely on uncovering internal moles

A Wake-Up Call

This espionage case serves as a chilling reminder that national security cannot be outsourced and that India must strengthen its internal vigilance to prevent enemy agencies from exploiting the economic vulnerabilities of low-level workers.

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