VanDyke Case: NIA Finds No Definite India Link Yet, Probe Continues

New Delhi – The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has so far found no solid proof that the seven foreign nationals arrested – one American, Matthew Aaron VanDyke, and six Ukrainians – were involved in any operation aimed at India or that they trained Indian insurgents.

That doesn’t mean the agency has closed the book. Officials stress that the investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is still on, because the possibility of an India‑related link cannot be ruled out until the seized electronic material is fully examined.

According to the probe, the group entered India in December 2025, slipped across the porous India‑Myanmar frontier and proceeded to a camp in Myanmar’s Victoria region. There, they are alleged to have taught drone‑flying, assembly and jamming techniques to members of the Chin National Front (CNF) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

Investigators also say the foreigners participated in joint combat sorties with these ethnic armed groups. Logistical support, they claim, came from CNF cadres, while the mission’s funding was arranged by a commander of a Myanmar rebel outfit.

Customs officials in Delhi had earlier detained consignments that contained drones and related gear. The NIA later seized those packages along with a trove of electronic devices – phones, hard drives and other data‑storage units – which are now being painstakingly analysed for any hidden connections.

While the evidence points to activity on Myanmar soil, the NIA has not uncovered a direct chain linking the suspects to Indian extremist outfits. Senior sources note that establishing—or definitively dismissing—such a link will require a deeper dive into the digital forensics and possibly an overseas inquiry.

The chargesheet against the seven was filed on September 8 under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, mainly because the statutory deadline for filing was about to lapse. The government is quick to clarify that filing the charge under the Foreigners Act does not signal the end of the UAPA‑related terror probe.

In short, the investigation remains very much alive. If further material surfaces, the NIA says it could file a supplementary chargesheet, or pursue other legal routes, to address any threats that might emerge from this cross‑border episode.