A US citizen and his companion were arrested at Srinagar International Airport on Sunday after a GPS device suspected to be a satellite communication device was found in his luggage, police officers said on Sunday.
They were questioned by airport security and then handed over to the police for further investigation. Police later confirmed that the suspected device had been found in one of the person’s luggage, officers said.
The US citizen is from Montana while his companion is originally from Kolkata but is currently living in the US, officials said. The officers said they were traveling from Srinagar to Delhi.
“The two people have not been arrested yet but have been detained for questioning,” said M Adil, a police officer at Hamhama Police Station.
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He said the alleged device raised suspicions that it might be a satellite phone. Satellite phones like Thuraya or Iridium are not allowed to be used in border states like Jammu and Kashmir without prior permission.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that it was not a satellite phone, but a GPS device,” the officer said.
Adel said that they will be released soon. “No FIR has been registered so far and we have not found anything suspicious in their luggage,” he added.
