Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted extensive raids at the Cochin shipyard on Wednesday concerning the leaking of sensitive information regarding defence ships.
The NIA team from Hyderabad inspected the shipyard, employees’ quarters, and other locations. The raids were prompted by suspicion of espionage, and a contract worker was taken into custody and is currently being questioned.
The shipyard, where the INS Vikrant and other vessels were constructed, has come under scrutiny as part of the ongoing investigation into potential espionage.
In September 2019, five hard disks, five RAMs and microprocessors were stolen from INS Vikrant. Several cables and mechanical parts were also reported missing. The hard drives contained sensitive information about the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), a computerised system used onboard ships to monitor the vessel’s operation and course and to provide safety warnings. INS Vikrant is the first Indian indigenous aircraft carrier vessel of the Indian Navy designed and built in India.