KARACHI: Pakistani police on Wednesday said they had arrested four local fishermen suspected of spying for India’s main intelligence agency RAW, accusing them of sending sensitive images of military installations to Indian handlers and receiving payments, liquor, and weapons in return.

Accusations of spying have long fueled tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors Pakistan and India, especially in coastal regions like Sindh, where fishing communities often unknowingly drift across poorly demarcated maritime borders.

Police said the latest arrests were made during a joint operation with intelligence services, according to a press conference by Shoaib Mehmood Memon, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) with Karachi’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

Memon said the suspects, identified as local fishermen by profession, had carried out surveillance of “sensitive installations” in the city’s Malir district and provided visual material to Indian agents.

“Indian intelligence agency RAW is recruiting vulnerable individuals through cross-border channels, including fishing routes,” said Memon. “The suspects used to call Colonel Ranjit their boss. He was in regular contact with them.”

The men allegedly crossed the international border into India on multiple occasions, where they were given Indian alcohol, cigarettes, and cash, police said. 

Memon added that the suspects received around RS100,000-150,000 (up to $525) per visit and were tasked with collecting sensitive video footage and checking routes leading to key military sites.

Authorities said hand grenades, firearms, and a vehicle were recovered during the operation, and that mobile data from the suspects had been fully extracted. Cases had been registered against the suspects under Pakistan’s counterterrorism laws.

Pakistan has frequently alleged that Indian intelligence services, particularly the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), have supported espionage and subversion inside its territory. India, in turn, has denied such claims and accused Pakistan of harboring militant groups, which it rejects. 

In 2016, the arrest of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, whom Islamabad described as a RAW officer, deepened bilateral strains. Jadhav was sentenced to death for alleged spying and sabotage but denied the charges, saying he was a former naval officer abducted from Iran.