NIA mercenary case: Delhi court extends custody of 6 foreign nationals till Aug 1
Synopsis
A Delhi court has extended the judicial custody of six foreign nationals — five Ukrainians and one American — till 1 August in an NIA probe into alleged weapons and drone training for insurgents along the India-Myanmar border. The accused reportedly entered India on tourist visas before allegedly crossing into Myanmar, and have now consented to voice sample collection as the investigation widens.
Key Takeaways
A Delhi NIA court extended judicial custody of six foreign nationals till 1 August , granting a 29-day extension.
The accused include five Ukrainian nationals — Petro Hubra , Taras Slyviak , Ivan Sukmanovskyi , Marian Stefankiv , Maksym Honcharuk , Viktor Kaminskyi — and American national VanDyke .
The NIA alleges the group was involved in imparting weapons and drone training to insurgents along the India-Myanmar border .
Accused allegedly entered India on tourist visas and were arrested from New Delhi , Lucknow , and Kolkata .
All six consented to voice sample collection during Friday's hearing.
A seventh Ukrainian national is due before the court on Saturday .
A Delhi court on Friday, 4 July 2025, extended the judicial custody of six foreign nationals — five Ukrainian citizens and one American national — till 1 August in a case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) over alleged terror training operations linked to Myanmar. The accused were produced before the NIA Court at Patiala House on the expiry of their previous custody period, after which the court granted an extension of 29 days.
Key Developments in Court
During Friday's hearing, all six accused consented to the collection of their voice samples after the NIA sought the court's permission as part of its ongoing investigation. A seventh accused — another Ukrainian national — is separately scheduled to be produced before the court on Saturday. The matter has been listed for further proceedings following the custody extension.
Who Are the Accused
The seven accused in the case include Ukrainian nationals Petro Hubra, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Maksym Honcharuk, and Viktor Kaminskyi, along with American national VanDyke. According to the NIA, the accused allegedly entered India on tourist visas and were arrested from multiple locations including New Delhi, Lucknow, and Kolkata, after reportedly travelling to India's northeastern region and allegedly crossing illegally into Myanmar.
What the NIA Has Alleged
Investigators allege the accused were part of an international network involved in imparting weapons and drone training to insurgent groups operating along the India-Myanmar border. The NIA has further alleged that the accused facilitated the procurement and movement of drones and electronic jamming equipment from Europe for use in the alleged training modules. The case is described as part of a broader probe into foreign mercenaries allegedly operating in India's northeastern region.
Security Measures and Proceedings
Citing security concerns, the Patiala House Court had earlier granted the NIA's request to conduct proceedings at its headquarters, directing that future hearings be held there with the accused produced before the presiding judge. The anti-terror agency is continuing its investigation to identify the wider network, including possible local facilitators and international linkages.
What Comes Next
With custody extended to 1 August, the NIA is expected to use the intervening period to analyse voice samples and pursue leads on the alleged international network. The case raises pointed questions about the adequacy of India's tourist-visa screening mechanisms and the reach of foreign mercenary networks into its sensitive border regions.
Point of View
In alleged operations on India's most sensitive border. The tourist-visa entry angle, if proven, points to a systemic gap in India's border and immigration intelligence. What the investigation has not yet publicly established is the chain of command: who hired these alleged mercenaries, which insurgent groups benefited, and whether any state actor is involved. Until those threads are pulled, the case remains a significant but incomplete picture of the alleged network.
NationPress
3 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have six foreign nationals been kept in NIA custody?
The six foreign nationals — five Ukrainians and one American — are accused of being part of an international network that allegedly imparted weapons and drone training to insurgent groups along the India-Myanmar border. The NIA is investigating their roles, and a Delhi court has extended their judicial custody till 1 August 2025.
Who are the accused in the NIA Myanmar mercenary case?
The seven accused are Ukrainian nationals Petro Hubra, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Maksym Honcharuk, and Viktor Kaminskyi, along with American national VanDyke. They were arrested from New Delhi, Lucknow, and Kolkata after allegedly travelling to India's northeastern region.
What is the NIA alleged to have found against the accused?
According to the NIA, the accused allegedly facilitated weapons and drone training for insurgents and also procured drones and electronic jamming equipment from Europe for use in training modules. They allegedly entered India on tourist visas before crossing illegally into Myanmar.
What happened in court on Friday?
The NIA court at Patiala House extended the judicial custody of six of the seven accused by 29 days, till 1 August. All six consented to voice sample collection during the hearing. A seventh accused is scheduled to appear before the court on Saturday.
Where will future hearings in this case be held?
The Patiala House Court had earlier, citing security concerns, allowed the NIA's request to conduct proceedings at its headquarters. Future hearings will be held there, with the accused produced before the presiding judge.
