Porbandar: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat Police has apprehended an individual named Pankaj Kotiya from Porbandar for transferring sensitive information to a Pakistani woman.

The accused has been identified as Pankaj Kotiya. He was gathering intelligence on coastal security agencies, including the Indian Coast Guard, and relaying details about their deployment, positioning, and other sensitive information to his contacts across the border.

Providing information about the arrest, Gujarat ATS SP K. Siddharth stated, “Gujarat ATS registered an espionage case today. We received information that a person named Pankaj Kotiya was transferring sensitive information from Porbandar to Pakistan. Following this, a team was formed to conduct a preliminary investigation, during which the accused was interrogated, and his mobile phone was seized and sent to the FSL. From the mobile, it was found that he was in contact with a Pakistani woman named Riya. He used to transfer sensitive information related to Coast Guard ships and their movements. Over the last eight months, he communicated with this woman at intervals of 2-3 days. He received a total amount of ₹26,000 from 11 different bank accounts. All this suggests that this is a case of espionage against the Government of India, and a case has been registered under Sections 61 and 148 of the BNS. The accused works in a tobacco factory.”

“He came in contact with Riya in February and has only been in touch with her through social media. We can say that this is not a case of a honey trap; he was doing this for monetary benefit. She had also mentioned that she is a Pakistani agent working in the Pakistan Navy. He knew he was providing information to an officer in the Pakistan Navy,” the senior police official stated. DeshGujarat