LOOKEAST

Prasanta Paul |

AFTER Manipur where embers of fierce ethnic gunfights are still lingering, is the Dragon country hell–bent on triggering widening fissures in the Northeast ?

Is there an elaborate plan being chalked out to turn the porous Northeastern states into a hybrid conflict zone to destabilise India’s financial prowess and undermine security parameters ?

■ One American and his six Ukranian cohorts remanded 11 days for anti–India plot—trained Myanmar insurgents in drone ops, weapons from Mizoram border. Arrested at Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow. Probe uncovers foreign funding, drone networks; larger international module suspected in Northeast security threat.

At least, the latest arrest of seven foreign nationals (one American and his six Ukranian cohorts) from Mizoram and Kolkata has provided ample proof to NIA (National Investigation Agency) sleuths about a burgeoning nexus between Myanmar–based terrorists and their original sponsors.

Arrest of seven foreign nationals (one American and his six Ukranian cohorts) from Mizoram and Kolkata has provided ample proof to NIA (National Investigation Agency) sleuths about a burgeoning nexus between Myanmar–based terrorists

What is unfolding fast before the Indian investigators is the fact that all these foreign nationals who have been remanded to NIA custody for eleven days by the concerned judge early this week, did not sneak into India through one of the points in the porous NE’s international border.

All the conspirators had arrived at the country procuring valid tourist visas; but shortly after arrival, they sneaked into Mizoram hiding their identities and then slipped into Myanmar where they, besides holding meetings with anti–India terrorists, imparted extensive training on drone warfare.

■ Mathew Vandyke

Not only that, these nationals smuggled in latest FPV drones in Mizoram from Europe before handing them over to the rebels for hands–on training.

Mathew who runs a mercenary organisation titled ‘Sons of Liberty International’ allegedly conceded during interrogation that his organisation used to train insurgents anywhere in the world and he was jailed in Libya for six months during the Gaddafi regime

And this is what has extremely been worrying the NIA top brass who had been tipped off by the Russian intelligence bureau about the presence of these saboteurs. In fact, Mathew Vandyke, the American detainee, was understood to be travelling to Myanmar via India since 2024 and claimed himself to be a ‘covert operator’ available on hire to plot and conduct ‘assignments’ for the so called ‘freedom fighters.’

Mathew who runs a mercenary organisation titled ‘Sons of Liberty International’ allegedly conceded during interrogation that his organisation used to train insurgents anywhere in the world and he was jailed in Libya for six months during the Gaddafi regime for illegal participation in the Libyan civil war.

■ FPV drone

Meanwhile, according to Irish journalist Cheo Bowess, all the six arrested Ukranians were agents of Ukraine Intelligence agency GUR, especially Marian Stefankyv who was the founder of a local NGO ‘Kolo Chowsti’ and reported to have links with Nazi organisation ‘Right Sector’.

Former Ukranian member of parliament Rovinovich claimed that Marian and his organisation who had once plotted to blow up a gas pipeline in Ukraine, failed to execute their plan.

All the six arrested Ukranians were agents of Ukraine Intelligence agency GUR, especially Marian Stefankyv who was the founder of a local NGO ‘Kolo Chowsti’ and reported to have links with Nazi organisation ‘Right Sector’

The question that has been doing rounds in the NIA corridor is who these hired mercenaries had been working for in Myanmar. Because the Ukranians presently enjoy a global reputation in drone warfare as during the continuing three–year–long battle with nuclear–armed Russia, Ukraine has succeeded in thwarting the Russian aggression, thanks to its unique improvisation of FPV (First Person View) drones and low–cost drone interceptors.

Not only are the FPV drones low–cost, they can be remotely operated through very simple gaming control devices; these low–flying drones easily escape radar detection and have a pin–point high impact strike capability if laden with explosives.

If the Myanmar–based terrorists which include NSCN and ULFA, now launch a proxy insurgency by using these FPV drones, India will have to install a high–power counter–drone surveillance–cum–elimination apparatus in the vulnerable areas of the NE.

■ ‘Sons of Liberty International’ profile picture in Linkedin

And this would obviously entail a huge defence expenditure, resulting in a cut in the development budget of the region. Already, India has mounted a massive infrastructure development programme in the Northeast region in the wake of the Galwan clash with China.

Much to the chagrin of India’s close superpower, the country has been projected to be the world’s fourth largest economy by overtaking Japan, boasting a nominal GDP of around 3.9 to 4.18 trillion dollars by end of the 2026–27 fiscal.

🚨🇲🇲Foreign mercenaries in Myanmar — what we know so far

Seven foreign nationals (six Ukrainians, one American) have been arrested in India in an anti-terror probe linked to militant activity in Myanmar.

▪️Mizoram officials flagged a spike in “unusual” Western visitors in 2024… https://t.co/Mpi0c3ArxI pic.twitter.com/kf4y3nRqvh

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) March 18, 2026

The target is to sabotage the growth by triggering internal conflicts and clashes through elaborate subversive acts, NIA sources feel. Of the six, three Ukranians were nabbed at Delhi airport while as many were caught at the Lucknow airport by the Immigration officials.

During the close–door remand hearing at the NIA court in New Delhi, the judge ordered their custody till 27th March to enable the sleuths to extract further information from these overseas collaborators. ■

Prasanta Paul served Deccan Herald as the Chief of Bureau, Calcutta for nearly two decades before switching to work with various TV channels such as Al-Jazeera, CNN, German TV and CBS. Mr. Paul who accompanied former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on his overseas tour of Singapore and other Asian countries, travelled extensively to Bhutan, Sikkim and Darjeeling besides other Northeastern states.