As part of a news release which is enough to shake the floor on which you’re standing, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested seven people, six of them are from Ukraine, and one of them is from America.
They were arrested on suspicion that they underwent terror training or were involved with insurgent organisations in India.
SIR WHAT?
They are being held on an order from a special NIA court in New Delhi, who has ordered the NIA to keep them for 11 days while they investigate an alleged international conspiracy that involves training in weapons, acquiring drones, and contact with rebel groups.
This is seriously turning into a thriller movie we fear coming true, bruh!
The arrests all took place on March 13 and were carried out as follows:
- The three Ukrainian nationals arrested in Delhi
- The three other Ukrainians were arrested in Lucknow
- An American was arrested in Kolkata
They were brought before a special NIA court located at Patiala House in New Delhi, who granted the NIA extended custody to interrogate them.
The additional sessions judge, Prashant Sharma, heard the case in a closed courtroom. The case was granted a period of 11 days of custodial interrogation, so that the prosecution can further investigate the case.
Charges filed under anti-terror legislation
Preliminary charges against those accused relate to sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 (UAPA), the main Indian anti-terrorism legislation.
ThePrint has reported that all of the individuals arrested were charged under Section 18 of the UAPA, which pertains to conspiracy to commit terrorist acts (UAPA).
Indian law allows investigators using UAPA provisions more time to interrogate and investigate because many UAPA cases require multi-national cooperation and involve coordination between extremist groups and globally funded networks.
Officials haven’t released the names of the individuals arrested or the names of the groups to which they allegedly had links.
The investigation believes the accused first entered India on a valid visa, travelled to northeastern state (Mizoram) in India, then crossed over to Myanmar along the 500 km border between Mizoram and Chin State of Myanmar.
Mizoram has been deemed a protected area for foreigners, meaning you require special approval to enter it because of the close proximity to international borders and sensitivity to security issues.
According to the NIA, the group:
1. Legally entered India on visas
2. Travelled to or within Mizoram
3. Crossed over into or out of Myanmar
4. Establishing Relations with Ethnic Armed Groups in the Region
According to a source quoted by ThePrint:
“Suspects were detained at the airports at Lucknow, Delhi, and Kolkata on their way back to India.”
Officials believe that the suspects crossed into Myanmar, conversed with insurgent groups, then came back to India and were apprehended before they could leave the country.
WOAH!
Accusations of Training Insurgents
The National Investigation Agency claims that the foreign suspects received training in Myanmar while also providing training to ethnic armed groups tied to insurgents in northeastern Indo-Pakistani areas.
The ethnic armed groups are primarily located in Myanmar’s border regions; many militant groups maintain bases and/or training camps there due to the rough nature of the area and the porous border.
Investigators suspect this group may have provided training in:
• Weapon handling and tactical operations
• Drone operations
• Technical operations regarding surveillance or combat technologies
According to The Tribune, investigators believe that the group trained ethnic guerrilla groups which had connections to various insurgent groups operating in India.
However, authorities have yet to name the groups, and yes… the investigation is still ongoing.
Drones Allegedly Smuggled from Europe?
One of the most serious claims against the subjects of this case involves their alleged procurement and transportation of drones from various locations in Europe.
NIA investigators claim that the suspects in this case entered into the Indian region of the northeast with the intention of bringing a large shipment of drones into that area, and they intended to use them for surveillance, tactical reconnaissance, or possibly as weapons.
The alleged supply chain for the delivery of drones has thus become a primary focus of the proceedings. This focus is based upon the potential use of drones as tools of modern asymmetric warfare and insurgent operation.
The authorities’ inquiries into the use of drones will focus on:
- Sourcing of the drones in Europe
- Transporting the drones into India
- Identifying whether any component parts of drones were delivered in support of insurgency groups.
The NIA will also be attempting to link together financial transactions, logistic networks, and communication records that may provide evidence of a larger international network in support of the alleged operation.
Legal Questions And Defense Objections
During the hearings before the court, Atul Tyagi, who represented the NIA as the Special Public Prosecutor, with other attorneys including Amit Rohila, argued the necessity of custodial interrogation of the accused for the purpose of identifying other individuals involved in this international scheme, finding sources for procuring arms, and determining the insurgency organizations which may have been involved in this operation.
The attorneys for the accused opposed the request for custody.
According to reports, senior advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey and advocate Atul Sehgal, who represented their clients, challenged the NIA’s request for extended custody of the accused.
Despite these objections, the NIA was granted 11 days of custody by the court to continue with this investigation.
Security Concerns on the India-Myanmar Border
This case raises additional security concerns regarding security along the northeast border of India and Myanmar.
Because what is more important than our civilians?
The region has long been subject to the following types of border issues:
- Cross-border movement of insurgents.
- The smuggling of arms across the border.
- Training camps for insurgents located in remote border areas.
Forces involved in Myanmar as a result of the civil war have added to the already tenuous nature of security within the border area.
It is well recognized that numerous ethnic armed groups operate in border-states within Myanmar, and that historically, Indian insurgent organizations have maintained contacts through various means with groups operating in Myanmar.
If proven, experts agree that foreign involvement in these types of networks would be a new aspect of the dynamics of regional insurgency problems.
For now, the seven individuals arrested by the NIA will remain in custody up until March 27th, with the expectation that the authorities will continue to build upon and fully develop the evidence in support of the alleged activities.