The NIA has pursued immigration and visa-related offences instead of anti-terror charges in the case involving alleged drone technology smuggling through Mizoram and Manipur
New Delhi: American filmmaker-turned-military trainer Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals have secured bail and been released from Delhi’s Tihar Jail after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) dropped charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case against them.
The group was released on Monday after the agency, in its final chargesheet, opted to pursue alleged immigration and visa violations instead of anti-terror provisions. The development enabled a Delhi court to grant them default bail. VanDyke has reportedly received travel clearance valid until late February 2027.
The seven had been arrested in March over allegations that they used border areas in Mizoram and Manipur to smuggle drone warfare technology, assembly equipment and communication jammers during the ethnic conflict in the region.
Investigators had also alleged that VanDyke and the Ukrainian nationals travelled to Myanmar to provide combat training to ethnic armed groups, including the Chin National Front and the Kachin Independence Army.
Following his release, VanDyke alleged that his detention was part of a geopolitical operation involving Russian interests linked to the Ukraine war. He also claimed that external interference played a role in the arrests, though these assertions remain unverified.
The defence had earlier raised concerns over VanDyke’s health and prison food, citing significant weight loss and gastrointestinal problems during his detention.
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