Pakistan-based spy ring exploited Agniveer recruitment system, probe finds

National security agencies are investigating an alleged Pakistan-based intelligence operation that sought to use the Agniveer recruitment ecosystem to identify and cultivate potential espionage assets, officials said. The probe examines the role of private coaching institutes and trainers in Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, who allegedly provided access to aspirants and shared personal information including financial circumstances and vulnerabilities with suspected Pakistani intelligence operatives in exchange for money.

The investigation has gained urgency as the first batches of Agniveers approach the end of their four-year tenure. The first Navy batch is expected to complete service around November 2026, while Army and Air Force batches conclude in December. Intelligence inputs suggest the suspected operation began at the pre-induction stage, with handlers attempting to identify potential recruits through coaching institutes before formal military induction, aiming to cultivate compromised individuals for access to classified military information.