NEW DELHI: The GoPro Hero 12 camera suspected of being used in the April 22 last year terror attack at Baisaran Meadow in Pahalgam has been traced to a distributor in China, according to an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has contacted Beijing seeking information about the device.
As per an application filed by the Federal Anti-Terrorism Investigation Agency before a Jammu court, a letter rogatory or LR (judicial request for information from a foreign country) was issued seeking assistance in connection with the camera.
“…During the investigation of the said case, various physical objects and electronic devices connected with the conspiracy and execution of the said terror attack were examined. One such important electronic device is a GoPro Hero 12 Black camera, bearing serial number C3501325471706 which is relevant to the establishment of pre-attack reconnaissance, movement and operational preparation of the terrorist unit involved in the Pahalgam attack,” according to a Jammu court order on Monday allowing the NIA to issue LR to China.
The NIA contacted the GoPro manufacturer in the Netherlands to obtain details about the supply chain and activation of the device.
However, GoPro BV informed the agency that the camera was supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor based in the People’s Republic of China; It was activated on January 30, 2024 in Dongguan, People’s Republic of China.
“The manufacturer also stated that it does not possess the final transaction details or end-user records of the said device. The activation, initial use and commercial path of the said device falls within the territorial jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China, and the necessary information to trace the purchaser and end-user and associated technical records can only be obtained through the judicial assistance of the Chinese authorities, hence the request,” according to the court order issued on Monday.
The court allowed the NIA to issue an LR to China.
The April 22 terrorist attack in the picturesque Besaran meadow had brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a full-scale war. India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir before a ceasefire on May 10.
Three terrorists – Suleiman Shah, Hamza Afghan alias Afghan and Gibran – who shot dead 25 tourists and a pony driver on April 22 at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, were killed by security forces during an encounter on July 28 in Dachigam forest area.
