New Delhi: Matthew VanDyke, a US national arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with six Ukrainians on charges of crossing into Myanmar to carry out “pre-scheduled training for Myanmar-based Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs)” had used India as a transit point in 2025 as well, taking the same route. This was his second visit to Myanmar, ThePrint has learnt.
According to sources in the security establishment, the US national and the Ukrainians were training representatives of the Kuki-Chin Army in drone warfare and operations.
“This was not the first time VanDyke used the same route to enter Myanmar. He came to India and went to Myanmar in 2025 as well,” a source said.
According to the source, data from their devices (including drones)—which were seized after their arrest—was analysed and a lot of photos and videos in which they are seen training these groups to fight against the Myanmar junta were found.
“There are drones, images of these groups being trained in how to operate drones have been recovered,” the source added.
The source also said that no videos or photos of them training ethnic groups fighting against India have been found so far.
The men have been booked under relevant charges, including under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to the FIR, these men landed in Mizoram before crossing the border into Myanmar, where they allegedly met some ethnic group members with interests that are “inimical” to India.
Additionally, the accused are said to have got drones delivered in Mizoram from Europe, before taking them across the border.
Matthew VanDyke is a familiar name in conflict zones across the world. A political science graduate from the University of Maryland, according to the bio on his website, VanDyke was also arrested by the then regime of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya in 2011. He was in prison for nearly six months and came out only when Gaddafi’s regime fell under attack from rebel forces.
A slip of the tongue, an alert official
All it took was a slip of the tongue and an alert immigration official stamping passports at Kolkata airport to blow VanDyke’s cover just before he was to fly to a South Asian country.
The immigration official inquired about the places VanDyke had visited in India, and it was then that he mentioned Mizoram, a second source told ThePrint.
“The official immediately asked if he had obtained the required permit to visit Mizoram. When VanDyke could not produce it at the counter, he was asked to step aside for further questioning,” the source said.
“The immigration official then alerted the concerned authorities about the missing permit. This led to detailed questioning, during which his Myanmar visit and that of the Ukrainians travelling with him came to light,” the source added.
VanDyke was taken into custody by the agency at Kolkata airport.
The remaining Ukrainians were subsequently traced through immigration records using the C-form system.
When a foreigner stays at a hotel in India, the establishment must submit a C-form online to the government within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival. This form includes details such as the person’s name, passport number, nationality, and duration of stay.
Additionally, three Ukrainian nationals—Petro, Taras, and Sukmanovskyi—were detained at Lucknow airport after being stopped by the Bureau of Immigration. The remaining accused were apprehended at airports in Kolkata and Delhi.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)