‘Mysterious’ woman used multiple identities to honeytrap DRDO staff

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Crime Branch, which is probing the DRDO espionage case, today informed that the ‘mysterious’ woman was in contact with the five arrested persons for the last one and a half years using multiple identities.

The five former contractual staff of the high-security defence installation were arrested earlier this month on espionage charges.

As interrogation of the five accused continued for the fourth day today, the investigating agency informed that the woman operative had come in contact with the accused for the first time in 2020.

“To some of the accused, she introduced herself as an employee of a media organisation in Rajasthan, while to some others, she claimed to be a resident of England having interest in missiles. To another accused, she introduced herself as a nurse in Port Blair and even proposed him for marriage. She also impersonated herself as a Lower Division Clerk of Indian Army posted in Chandigarh,” said Crime Branch sources.

The woman used to video call the accused on Facebook and WhatsApp conversing in English and Hindi, on a regular basis. Investigation is underway to track the IP address. Steps are afoot to contact the UK authorities, who will be requested to share details of the WhatsApp number, sources added.

Also Read: DRDO espionage accused received money from Dubai: Crime Branch

Earlier yesterday, Additional Director General (ADG) of Odisha Police (Crime Branch), Sanjeeb Panda informed that one of the five accused had received a cash transfer of around Rs 38,000 from a bank account in Dubai. The money was transferred to the account of the accused in two instalments.

“A team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) had also interrogated the accused in the past two days while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is yet to interrogate them,” the ADG further said.

On September 14, the Balasore police had arrested the five accused on charges of leaking classified defence information with unknown foreign agents, who are suspected to be from Pakistan.

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