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Key Points:
The NIA arrested seven foreign nationals, comprising six Ukrainians and one US citizen, under the UAPA for plotting against Indian security. The NIA arrested them last week in coordinated team efforts from different locations across India.
The accused have been booked under Section 18 of the UAPA that deals with conspiracy for a terrorist act. The group illegally crossed through Mizoram into Myanmar to supply smuggled European drones and weapons to anti-India ethnic insurgent factions.
A Delhi court granted the investigative agency an 11-day custody extension to further probe this international cross-border smuggling and terror network. The Court said that the custody will lead to revealing a larger network of broader conspiracy.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested seven foreigners on charges of conspiring to act against the national security of India. The accused consist of six Ukrainian citizens and one US citizen. The NIA has booked them under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with other relevant sections.
The arrests were carried out in coordinated team efforts last week. An FIR against the accused was registered on Friday evening, March 13, 2026. The three Ukrainians were detained at Lucknow and Delhi airports, while the US national was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration at the Kolkata airport.
Section 18 of the UAPA deals with punishment for conspiracy to carry out terrorist activities on Indian soil. It also deals with invoking appropriate charges and convictions based on an individual or a group of individuals assisting terrorists (directly or indirectly). Further, it lists punishment for those involved in organising terrorist camps and training them, providing them with arms and ammunitions, and recruiting any individual or a group of individuals for terrorist acts.
Following their arrests, the suspects were transported to Delhi and presented before the Patiala House Court on Saturday, March 14, 2026. After getting remanded for three days, they were again brought to the Patiala House Court on Monday, March 17, 2026, where Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma granted police custody an extension of 11 days to the NIA until March 27, 2026.
Judge Sharma stated in his order that the remand of the accused was entirely justified. Keeping in mind the security of the country, he said that the remand and further investigation will lead to gathering crucial and concrete evidence. The investigation will unearth the broader conspiracy details, other persons associated with the accused and important data revealed from their social media and smart phones.
Reports from Indian media agencies state that the accused had entered India on valid visas. Thereafter, they crossed into restricted area(s) in Mizoram without procuring the mandatory Restricted Area Permit. The accused then crossed the border to Myanmar and reportedly met ethnic separatist groups that operate against the sovereignty of India.
The accused are believed to have smuggled huge consignments of drones, weapons and other terrorist hardwares to separatists. The NIA has also stated that their investigation will lead to finding the travel locations and route(s) of the accused, along with other information.
While official statements from Government authorities are yet to be heard regarding the situation, the NIA has been granted custody of the accused by the Patiala House Court. As diplomatic missions continue to withhold public comment and the suspects remain in extended custody until March 27, 2026, the NIA's focus now shifts to dismantling the broader cross-border network responsible for insurgent coordination and drone smuggling along the Myanmar border.
(Rh)
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