NIA chargesheets 7 foreigners arrested for suspected links with Myanmar armed groups

The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against seven foreign nationals who had been arrested in March for allegedly having links to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar that are hostile to India, reported PTI.

Although they had been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the agency has now only accused them of immigration violations.

They have been chargesheeted for illegally entering, staying and moving in India under the 2025 Immigration and Foreigners Act.

Of those named, one person Matthew Aaron Van Dyke is from the United States. The other six, Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim and Kaminskyi Viktor, are Ukrainian citizens.

The agency arrested all seven on March 13. They were allegedly involved in supplying weapons and military equipment to ethnic armed groups operating in Myanmar, as well as providing them with training.

Investigators alleged that they had entered India on valid visas, but later travelled to Mizoram without the mandatory restricted area permit. They were also accused of entering Myanmar and meeting ethnic groups hostile to India.

Officials alleged that the individuals received drone deliveries from Europe while in Mizoram.

They were reportedly arrested in Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow while trying to leave India.

On Tuesday, Special Public Prosecutor Rahul Tyagi told Special Judge Prashant Sharma that although the anti-terror law had...

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