According to the NIA probe, the accused entered Myanmar illegally via Mizoram to allegedly conduct a pre-scheduled training on drone warfare, drone operations, assembly and jamming technology for Myanmar-based Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs) targeting the Myanmar Military Junta. (File photo)The National Investigation Agency (NIA) invoked sections of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 in its chargesheet against seven foreign nationals arrested in March this year for allegedly conspiring to carry out terrorist activities against India.The chargesheet, filed on Tuesday before a special NIA court in Delhi, did not invoke the anti-terror law — Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) — against the seven foreigners, including one US national and six Ukrainians, who are accused of having links to ethnic armed groups in India.Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Rahul Tyagi representing the NIA informed the court that the investigation into offences under UA(P)A has been kept pending for further probe. The agency may file a supplementary chargesheet if an offence under the Act is made out, he said.“A substantial part of the further investigation with respect to the offences committed under UA(P) Act, 1967 has been completed. Further investigation is ongoing and more time is required in order to ascertain and verify the true and complete facts about the commission of offences under UA(P)A in view of import and recovery of huge quantities of drones and accessories through India,” the NIA submitted.The court has posted the matter for further proceedings on October 1.According to the NIA probe, the accused entered Myanmar illegally via Mizoram to allegedly conduct a pre-scheduled training on drone warfare, drone operations, assembly and jamming technology for Myanmar-based Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs) targeting the Myanmar Military Junta.The accused persons violated Section 3 and 7 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 which govern the mandatory travel documents required for entry into India.Story continues below this adMatthew Van Dyke, a 46-year-old American who is in judicial custody in the case, claimed on his website that he “fought in the 2011 Libyan Civil War to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi”. He was arrested by the NIA from the Kolkata airport, while Ukrainian citizens Petro Hurba, Taras Slyviak and Ivan Sukmanovskyi were arrested from Lucknow airport on March 13.Three other Ukrainians — Marian Stefankiv, Maksim Honcharuk and Viktor Kaminskyi — were arrested from Delhi airport the same day.Sources said one group of Ukrainians stayed in hotels in Mumbai in December last year. From Mumbai, they allegedly went to Guwahati from where they “illegally” entered Myanmar. Another group of Ukrainians allegedly stayed in Delhi in a Paharganj hotel in December last year before heading to Guwahati.As per the NIA, the accused persons had entered Mizoram without taking the mandatory Protected Area Permit (PAP).Story continues below this adThe NIA investigation has found that several consignments of drones from Europe were allegedly delivered by the accused persons to individuals and groups in Mizoram. According to the agency, the accused have told interrogators that they were in “direct touch and abetted in their terrorist illegal activities by unknown terrorists carrying AK47 rifles”.Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More Tags:delhiNIA