The US embassy in India has stated that it is “aware of the situation” after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the nation’s top anti-terror organisation, arrested seven persons, including an American national. They were allegedly using India as a route to enter Myanmar illegally to give training to ethnic armed groups there, as well as some banned outfits in India.
The American embassy said it is aware of the matter but cannot comment further due to privacy reasons related to US citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine confirmed in a statement to the media on Tuesday that the other six accused are Ukrainian nationals.
The Ukrainian diplomatic mission said it is in regular touch with the families of the detained citizens and is closely monitoring the situation. It added that Indian authorities are currently carrying out the investigation.
The American national has been identified as Matthew VanDyke. The Ukrainian nationals who have been arrested are Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor.
A special NIA court in Delhi has sent all seven accused to judicial custody for 11 days. They have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court said custody was required for further interrogation.
As per the FIR, the accused travelled to restricted areas in Mizoram, crossed into Myanmar illegally, and made contact with ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and banned groups in India.
They are also accused of training these armed groups, supplying weapons, and assisting in drone operations. The charges suggest involvement in activities similar to mercenary work.
Sources said that 14 Ukrainian nationals had entered India on tourist visas at different times. They travelled to Guwahati in Assam and then to Mizoram, before crossing into Myanmar without proper documents.
Their aim was to allegedly train armed groups in Myanmar that have links with banned insurgent groups in India. It is also suspected that drones were routed from Europe to Myanmar through India for use by these groups.
In March 2025, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said the state was not opposing the Union government’s decision to reimpose the Protected Area Permit (PAP) to regulate movement along the India-Myanmar border due to security concerns. He said Mizoram was being used as a transit route by foreign nationals travelling to Myanmar, which had raised security concerns for the Central government.
Speaking in the Assembly, he said around 2,000 foreign nationals visited Mizoram between June and December 2024, and many did not come as tourists and left without being noticed. He alleged that some foreigners crossed into Myanmar’s Chin Hills to provide military training.
"In the present geopolitics, the situation in our neighbouring country is being closely viewed by different countries, including China and the US. As this is the case, the situation of Mizoram being used by foreigners as a transit route has become a grave concern for the Centre, which prompted the reimposition of the Protected Area Permit in the state," Lalduhoma told the assembly.
He added that the Protected Area Permit has also been reimposed in other states that could be used as transit routes by such elements travelling to Myanmar. Although the Mizoram government had initially opposed the move, it later understood its importance.
Currently, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, along with parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, are classified as protected areas.
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