New Delhi: In a significant seizure, the Army and the Assam Rifles have recovered a Starlink satellite internet device— manufactured by American billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX—from strife-torn Manipur.
The Spear Corps in a post on ‘X’ said that, acting on specific intelligence, troops carried out joint search operations in hill and valley areas in the districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kangpokpi in Manipur in close coordination with Manipur police.
They released pictures of the recovery which included 29 weapons including sniper rifles, automatic weapons, rifles, pistols, countrymade mortars, single barrel rifles, grenades and ammunition. But, one of the seized items stood out—a Starlink device with the receiver and the router.
Though Army sources refused to share details of which group the Starlink device was seized from, it had inscriptions of RPF/PLA written on it.
Sources added that the recovery was made on 13 December and the device in question is currently with the Manipur police.
Starlink is yet to be granted a satellite broadband license in India and is supposed to be geotagged to prevent any device from operating within India. Sources said security agencies are looking into the issue to determine how the device made its way to Manipur.
The seizure, they said, is alarming because this means that militant groups and criminal outfits are able to circumvent conventional internet restrictions. It is believed that the device could have been smuggled into India from Myanmar where it is in use by various groups.
While legacy mobile phone service providers use telecom towers for offering voice and internet services, Starlink relies on a constellation of satellites.
This is the second time that a Starlink device has been recovered by Indian security agencies in less than a month. Andaman and Nicobar police in late November seized more than 6,000 kg of meth in a Myanmarese boat, besides a Starlink mini internet device.
Starlink is in the process of seeking the required security clearances for a licence to offer satellite broadband services in India and is expected to get a permit should it satisfy authorities of conditions laid out.
Starlink has been looking to enter India for years. The government, meanwhile, has made it clear that satellite spectrum will not be auctioned and instead allocated administratively, that too not on a first come first serve basis. While Indian telecom billionaires like Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal were in favour of an auction, Musk was opposed to it.
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