Starlink satellite broadband communications equipment recovered from Manipur
During a search operation, the Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Police found a total of 29 weapons, but what surprised security forces was the Starlink satellite broadband communications equipment. The device belongs to Elon Musk’s company.
A receiver, 20 meters of cable and a router were found during the search. The RFP/PLA is written on the router of the device. The device may be linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a militant group active in Manipur. This is a cause for concern for security forces. Suspected to have come to Manipur from Myanmar: Communication has been affected due to the ban on the Internet in Manipur.
The device must have arrived in Manipur from Myanmar
Satellite equipment is not affected by such restrictions. It is believed the equipment may have reached armed groups from Myanmar. The India-Myanmar border is open. Except for a few kilometers, the entire border is devoid of any barbed wire. So smuggling is easy. Security agencies are trying to find out how the device reached Manipur.
Extremist groups in Myanmar are using such communication tools on a large scale. All armed groups active in Manipur are also active in Myanmar. This satellite internet device Starlink is a satellite internet service. It uses a satellite network rather than traditional mobile towers. Generally speaking, telecom companies in India use towers to provide internet and voice services, while Starlink connects to satellites.
This type of equipment has been recycled before
Such devices have reportedly been discovered before. In November, the coast guard seized a Myanmar vessel near Andaman. Among them, 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized. A Starlink mini satellite communications device was also recovered from it. However, Elon Musk wrote on social media X about the resurgence that this was wrong. Satellite beams over India are currently switched off. This is the second Starlink device in Myanmar and is currently in the process of obtaining a license to launch satellite broadband services in India. But even before that, the devices had started being recovered from terrorists and smugglers in India.
