A few cases of involvement of Armed Forces personnel in espionage activities have come to the notice of the Government. The number of such cases reported in the Armed Forces in 2005 is two, in 2006 is five and nil this year.
Pakistan's ISI is suspected to be involved in such espionage activities. 16 Armed Forces personnel have been arrested for involvement in these cases. Of these 14 have been awarded stringent punishment.
Comprehensive preventive measures based on modus operandi of hostile countries / organizations are being enforced and regular security review is carried out from time to time with a view to sensitize the environment for making security apparatus foolproof. In addition the existing Counter Intelligence setup in the Armed Forces is synergized on a regular basis to meet the new challenges. Stringent action is being undertaken against the accused persons and exemplary punishment is being awarded.
This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Jai Prakash Aggarwal in Rajya Sabha today. While the Minister highlights the presence of Pakistan's ISI, he was muted about the presence of other organizations from nations such as China, Russia and the United States.