Immigration's C-form tracking led to arrest of six Ukrainians by Indian authorities

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested six Ukrainian nationals at airports in Delhi and Lucknow after they were flagged through a routine immigration check called the C-form. The C-form is a key part of India's rules for tracking foreign visitors. When a foreigner stays at a hotel or other accommodation, the host, usually the hotel, must fill out and submit this online form to the government within 24 hours of the guest's arrival. It includes basic details like the person's full name, passport number, nationality, visa information, and stay dates.

This helps authorities, through offices like the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), keep records of where foreigners are and monitor their movements for security reasons. In this case, the C-form submissions helped Indian officials spot the Ukrainians' presence and link it to suspicious activity. The men were arrested last week on March 13 as they tried to leave India, reportedly heading to a country in Southeast Asia. One US citizen was also detained at Kolkata airport in the same operation.

Indian authorities accuse the group of entering the northeastern state of Mizoram, a restricted area that requires special permits, without permission. From there, they allegedly crossed illegally into neighbouring Myanmar. The NIA claims they trained ethnic armed groups in Myanmar on drone warfare, drone operations, assembly, and jamming technology. They face charges under India's strict anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The accused were remanded to NIA custody until March 27 for further investigation. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said it cannot release details about the arrest of seven foreign nationals as the investigation remains in its early stages. The Ministry of external affairs has declined to comment, pointing the case is in the legal domain current. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in New Delhi have strongly protested the arrests. They call the charges "orchestrated and politically motivated" and have asked for consular access to the detainees. In a statement, Ukraine said it "expects" India to handle the case with "transparency, legality, and respect for international law", noting the traditionally "friendly" ties between the two countries.