Nirmal Rai has a brother in the army, sources said.
Military authorities have detained a suspected spy who was working as a porter at a forward base of the army along the Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh, sources said today.
Army sources identified the accused as Nirmal Rai, a resident of Ambikapur village in Tinsukia district. He had been employed as a porter for the army at Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw since October 2018.
"Military Intelligence officials took the man into custody for passing sensitive military information to Pakistani handlers in Dubai. He came in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives while working at a burger shop in Dubai," a highly placed officer of the military intelligence said, adding that the accused's brother also works in the army.
According to sources, Rai was trained by his Pakistani handlers in Dubai to take photographs and make videos in a discreet fashion. He was then sent back to Arunachal Pradesh, so he could become a porter in the army and allegedly relay sensitive military information across the border.
Authorities believe he may have transferred information through social messaging applications such as Whatsapp and video-calling programmes. This includes crucial data on infrastructure development along the line of actual control; airfields; location and deployment of army units; artillery guns; bridges; and weapon profile of Indian army units.
It is a practice in the army to recruit local residents as contractual porters at forward posts. A case has been registered with the local police too, a senior army officer said.