Karnataka on high alert -Intelligence agencies track anti-national activities via satellite phone calls

NDC Desk

Bengaluru: The intelligence agencies have alerted the Karnataka government after they tracked satellite phone calls made to foreign locations from the coastal and Malnad regions of the state.

The phone calls have been tracked to Moodabidri and Mudipu regions in Dakshina Kannada, in dense forest regions of Uttara Kannada and another two locations in Chikkamagaluru district in the state. As many as five phone calls have been traced since last week.

After the targeted killings in Jammu and Kashmir, central agencies have told Karnataka authorities to be vigilant about the new developments.Central agencies have gathered information about suspected anti-national activities taking place in coastal districts — Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts in Malnad region of Karnataka. This is the third time the use of satellite phones has been detected.

When the issue was figured in the recently concluded legislature session, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had told Congress MLA U T Khader that the government is handling the situation in coordination with central agencies including Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The intelligence agencies are also looking into whether anti-national forces are activating sleeper cells in the state. Jnanendra had said 476 calls made through satellite phones since 2020 have been tracked to foreign locations.

After the Mumbai attack in 2008, use of satellite phones has been banned by the Directorate General of Shipping. There were 256 instances of satellite phone usage in 2020 and 220 this year in the state, Jnanendra said.