New Delhi, March 23 – The arrest of an American mercenary, Matthew Aaron VanDyke, and six Ukrainian nationals by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has exposed a larger agenda against the northeastern states of India.
While the accused have confessed to training ethnic armed groups based in Myanmar, the NIA is now looking for their local facilitators. An official said that such an operation could not have taken place without local help.
While the agency has arrested seven persons so far, information suggests that there may be nine others who are part of this network. Another official said that the NIA is now investigating the connection between this network and India. However, the larger picture emerging suggests that these persons, along with their handlers abroad, were planning to make the northeast a corridor for foreign mercenaries.
This means that the India-Myanmar border areas are also being used to train operatives to carry out attacks in other countries.
Matthew VanDyke and Ukrainian nationals, Maksym Honcharuk, Petro Hubra, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Taras Slyviak, and Viktor Kaminskyi are in NIA custody, and they face charges under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The training was not limited to traditional warfare, but also the use of drone technology. It was found that the accused had managed to smuggle in drones and jamming equipment from Europe. They had used tourist visas as a cover to carry out smuggling activity.
This group, according to investigators, has been active since 2024. They regularly travelled to Myanmar and trained insurgent groups in drone warfare, facilitating the movement of advanced drone equipment from Europe and also electronic jamming.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that this is a dangerous precedent being set. The network is much larger than it appears, and these persons were in for a long haul, where the northeast was the target.
The official added that in recent years, many have visited the Northeast, especially Mizoram, and it was found that most of them were not genuine tourists. These could have come on reconnaissance missions, and also with the intent of meeting with members of insurgent groups and recruiting, another official said.
This issue had also been flagged by Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma in the state Assembly in 2024. This case has been a wake-up call, and henceforth, the scrutiny of those visiting the northeastern states will be much higher.
The arrest of these persons and such a dangerous discovery have not been an overnight revelation. The NIA has been watching the developments for three months, and the accused persons were under the scanner.
Another official said that Mizoram’s porous border has become a boon for foreign mercenaries. Thanks to the nature of this border and the support that they get from certain Myanmar-based groups, the mercenaries are easily able to undertake training exercises and also smuggle in drones and other weapons.
Intelligence agencies say that there is a clear indication of a reviving insurgency in the northeast. The sophistication with which this operation was being carried out and the involvement of foreign nationals only show the extent to which these elements were ready to go and disturb peace in the northeast.
Officials say that in addition to probing this case in-depth and understanding the larger picture, the focus would also be on security at the border. India will also be working closely with Russia on this, as well as future cases. It was Russia that provided the first tip-off, following which the NIA kept monitoring these persons for three months before acting.
Officials say that the local police, too, have a huge task on hand. It is important to identify each and every local and their modules within the northeast if such incidents are to be prevented in the region. The situation in the region is a delicate one, and foreign elements will look to take advantage of the same and stoke tensions.
Another official said that it has taken a lot to restore normalcy in the northeast. This has not gone down too well with many foreign elements. They are aware that if violence breaks out in this region, it would be a huge task to restore normalcy, the official also added.
