New Delhi, Itanagar | December 11: In a major national security development, Arunachal Pradesh Police have arrested two men from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district for their alleged involvement in spying, collecting sensitive military information, and transmitting details to Pakistan-based handlers.
The accused, identified as Nazir Ahmad Malik and Sabir Ahmed Mir, were arrested on charges of espionage, a police statement confirmed. According to officials, Malik was detained on November 22 from a rented accommodation in Ganga village after authorities received “credible and actionable intelligence.”
During initial interrogation, Malik reportedly admitted to gathering and sharing confidential information on troop deployments, army movements, and security installations in the state. Investigators say he used encrypted Telegram channels to pass on this data to foreign handlers.
Police also claim that Malik revealed receiving instructions for possible acts of sabotage, including placing explosives and carrying out arson attacks aimed at destabilising security formations. Two mobile phones recovered from him have been sent for forensic examination.
Following leads obtained from Malik, police later arrested Sabir Ahmed Mir from the Abotani Colony area of Itanagar. Deleted data retrieved from Mir’s mobile phone has strengthened suspicion of his involvement in a wider espionage network.
A senior police officer said the arrests were made following “critical intelligence inputs” from outside the state. The main handler, suspected to be operating from another region of the country, remains untraced. Both accused have been remanded to judicial custody, and further investigation is underway.
Initial assessments by the police suggest that the two Kupwara residents were working in coordination with “hostile foreign operatives” and may be part of a larger plot to compromise national security and disturb public order.
The case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Official Secrets Act, and other relevant laws. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests as the investigation progresses.
