New Delhi, Mar 24 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday carried out search operations at four locations in Gujarat and Maharashtra in connection with an espionage case.

The case was initially lodged by the Vijaywada police station in Andhra Pradesh in 2020. Later, the NIA took over the probe.

The case pertains to the involvement of Pakistani agents in espionage activities in India.

The NIA learnt during the investigation that the accused had conspired with their associates based at Visakhapatnam, Mumbai and Gujarat for gathering sensitive information to carry out terror acts in India.

Indian SIM cards were fraudulently procured and OTPs were received through their Indian associates for activation of WhatsApp accounts by Pakistan-based handlers, which were then used to establish contact with defence personnel to elicit sensitive information related to vital installations.

"We carried out searches at Godhra in Gujarat and Buldana in Maharashtra at the premises of the suspects. During the searches, digital devices, suspicious SIM cards and incriminating documents were seized," said an NIA official.