The Indian navy in a move to increase its confidential information and to prevent espionage has issued orders to ban social media and smartphones at naval bases, dockyards and onboard warships.

“All social networking platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other messengers from here on now will not be allowed at the naval bases and ships,” a senior Indian Navy officer was quoted by India Today.

The restriction was imposed to prevent officers from being a target to honey traps by spies on social media.

The step comes days after seven Navy personnel were found leaking sensitive information through Facebook. It was alleged that the information was sent to Pakistan.

The Andra Pradesh Police with the help of Central Intelligence Agencies and Naval Intelligence nabbed seven Navy personnel and a hawala operator from Vishwakapatanam and Mumbai respectively.

“Three sailors were arrested from Visakhapatnam, two from Karwar and two from Mumbai,” said intelligence agencies, which busted the espionage racket being run by Pakistan

It is believed that the Navy personnel might have passed sensitive information such as the location of naval ships and submarines to a Pakistani handler.

The agencies have observed that both Eastern and Western naval command centres which safeguard maritime borders from Pakistan and China were exposed to these Pakistan’s agents.

This seven naval personnel had fallen prey to a honey trap in 2018.

Of the seven arrested, three were from Eastern Naval Command of Visakhapattanam, three were from Western Naval Command, and one was posted at Karwar naval the base of Karnataka.

Lured on the pretext of an online relationship the chat conversation of these seven sailors with women was found to be sexual in nature. Later, these women blackmailed these men to know the location and movement of India’s warships and submarines.

The men were also paid by the hawala operator. However, the Indian Navy has said that the confidential assets are untouched and assured there was no security breach.

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