New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven foreign nationals — six Ukrainians and one American — over alleged terror-related activities.
They were remanded in 11 days of NIA custody by a special NIA court in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The American citizen — Matthew Aaron VanDyke — was allegedly involved in drone warfare training, and had links to insurgent groups operating near India’s northeast. It is alleged that he crossed the border illegally.
Who is Matthew Aaron VanDyke?
Matthew Aaron VanDyke, 46, is Baltimore-born, Georgetown-educated man, who claims that he is a security analyst. He also says he is a war correspondent, and documentary filmmaker. He drew global attention during the 2011 Libyan Civil War after he joined rebel combatants and landed in jail.
After Libya, he went to Syria where he filmed a documentary while advising rebel groups on weaponry. Following this, VanDyke set up an organisation called Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), which imparts military training and advice on strategies to local armed groups in conflict-hit regions across the world. He is supposed to have been active in Ukraine too and claims to have run covert operations in Venezuela.
Even though there’s a buzz on social media that VanDyke could be a CIA agent, there’s no public proof that he ever worked for the agency. He himself has denied being associated with it.
What’s the case against him in India?
The security agencies nabbed VanDyke from Kolkata. Three Ukrainians were apprehended from Lucknow, and another three from Delhi. They were presented before the Patiala House Court in New Delhi. The NIA sought 15 days’ custody to probe the route taken, gather evidence related to the alleged conspiracy, and trace other associates. However, the court granted 11 days of custody. All the seven arrested foreign nationals will be produced in the court again on March 27.
As per NIA sources, a total of 14 Ukrainians entered India on tourist visas on different dates. They landed in Guwahati and then travelled to Mizoram — which is a protected area — without proper documents. After this, they illegally crossed into Myanmar. NIA sources claimed that they had come to carry out drone warfare training for ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.
The nationals have also been accused of bringing a huge consignments of drones from Europe into Myanmar via India. These drones were intended to be used by those same armed groups.
NIA sources point out that several armed groups in Myanmar have links to organisations banned in India. These groups are suspected of giving weapons, equipment, and training to Indian insurgent outfits. The security agencies are probing if this network has any local links inside India, and how the drones went through India.
