Gujarat ATS Arrests Youth Spying for ISI in Porbandar

Porbandar — On Thursday, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Jatin Charaniya, a 21-year-old resident of Subhashnagar, Porbandar, for espionage activities linked to Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence (ISI). Charaniya, who worked as a fisherman, has been accused of transmitting sensitive information about the Indian Coast Guard to Pakistani agents.

ATS officials, acting on a tip-off received by Police Inspector PB Desai, apprehended Charaniya. The youth had been in contact with a Pakistani agent using the alias Advika Prince for approximately four months. During this period, he relayed information about Indian Coast Guard jetties and vehicles via messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, receiving monetary compensation in return.

A team led by PI Mrinal Shah, PSI DV Rathod, and PSI HD Vadher, utilized both technical and human resources to detain Charaniya and brought him to Ahmedabad for further questioning. Investigations revealed that Charaniya had been communicating with a Facebook profile under the name Advika Prince since January 2024. He sent videos of the sea, coast guard jetties, and docked ships, receiving Rs 6000 in small amounts as payment.

ATS Deputy Superintendent of Police SL Chaudhary reported that Charaniya transitioned to using Telegram for his communications, taking advantage of the app's privacy settings, which auto-delete chats within 24 hours. The ATS has charged Charaniya under sections 121 and 120 of the IPC. He will be presented in court for a seven-day remand, during which further details, including additional contacts, are expected to emerge.