Espionage Network Exposed IAF Staffer Arrested in Assam for Spying for Pakistan

In a major counter-intelligence breakthrough, a 36-year-old civilian employee at the Chabua Air Force Station in Assam was arrested on Sunday for allegedly passing sensitive military data to Pakistani handlers. The accused, identified as Sumit Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh working as Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), was apprehended in a joint operation by Rajasthan Intelligence and Air Force Intelligence. Investigators reveal that Kumar had been in contact with Pakistani operatives since 2023, allegedly sharing confidential details—including the locations of fighter aircraft, missile systems, and personnel data—through social media platforms in exchange for monetary payments.

The arrest follows a trail that began in January 2026 with the detention of a suspect in Jaisalmer, whose interrogation exposed a wider espionage network targeting Indian defense installations. Beyond the Chabua base in Dibrugarh, Kumar is also suspected of leaking critical information regarding the Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner and assisting handlers in creating social media accounts using mobile numbers registered in his name. Currently being interrogated at a central facility in Jaipur, the accused faces charges under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as authorities