Guwahati: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted seven foreign nationals, including US citizen Matthew Aaron VanDyke, for alleged illegal entry, stay and movement in India after its investigation found that they had travelled through Assam and Mizoram before crossing the Indo-Myanmar border to provide training to Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAO) and Peoples Defence Forces (PDF) in Myanmar.

The agency is also investigating their possible links with insurgent groups active in the northeastern states and a larger conspiracy that could have implications for India’s security.

The chargesheet, filed before Special Judge Prashant Sharma, accused the seven of offences under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. The NIA, however, did not invoke provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the chargesheet, saying further investigation was required to establish the complete facts concerning possible offences under the anti-terror law.

Besides VanDyke, the accused include Ukrainian nationals Petro Hurba, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Maksim Honcharuk and Viktor Kaminskyi. The group was allegedly operating as mercenaries, according to the NIA.

According to the chargesheet, the investigation revealed that VanDyke and the Ukrainian nationals arrived in India in December 2025 on tourist visas and subsequently travelled to Guwahati on different dates, staying at different hotels in the city.

They later allegedly travelled to Mizoram and crossed the Indo-Myanmar border to reach Camp Victoria in Myanmar, where they provided training to EAOs and PDFs.

The NIA said the accused had planned their movement through India and Myanmar in a manner intended to avoid suspicion.

The agency further claimed that while the accused entered India with valid travel documents, they did not obtain the mandatory Protected Area Permit (PAP) for their visit to Mizoram towards the end of December 2025.

The NIA had initially registered the case against them under Section 18 of the UAPA, which deals with punishment for conspiracy, along with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

VanDyke was arrested by the NIA at Kolkata airport, while Hurba, Slyviak and Sukmanovskyi were arrested at Lucknow airport on March 13. Stefankiv, Honcharuk and Kaminskyi were arrested at Delhi airport on the same day.

The agency said the arrests were made as part of an investigation into a larger conspiracy and to establish whether the accused had links with Indian insurgent groups operating in the Northeast.

“A substantial part of the further investigation with respect to the offences committed under UA(P) Act, 1967 has been completed,” the chargesheet said, adding that more time was required to ascertain and verify the complete facts.

The NIA said the continuing investigation involves the alleged import and recovery of a large quantity of drones and accessories through India, as well as scrutiny of a large number of seized digital devices.

According to the agency, the investigation could reveal possible involvement of the accused in activities threatening India’s unity, integrity, security and sovereignty or in acts intended to strike terror in any section of the population.

The NIA has sought permission to continue further investigation under Section 193(9) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to uncover all aspects of what it described as a larger conspiracy involving the arrested accused and others.

While the seven have now been chargesheeted for alleged immigration-related offences, the agency said its investigation into possible offences under the UAPA and their suspected connections with insurgent groups in the Northeast remains underway.