Manipur Militants Reportedly Using Elon Musk’s Starlink During Internet Shutdowns

Manipur Militants: Militant groups have been exploiting Elon Musk's satellite-based Starlink devices, currently unsanctioned in India, during internet and mobile shut-downs in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, The Guardian has said, quoting inside sources from armed groups and police.

Such revelations were made in a report by the Guardian million days after SpaceX founder Elon Musk indicated that Starlink beams are infeasible over India. This followed speculations that the alleged device was being put into some use in the northeastern state.

Recently last month, security forces raided one Keirao Khunou in Imphal East district, reportedly resulted in the seizing of a number of items, including internet devices and weapons of varied kind. One of such items is a Starlink satellite internet device that was reportedly recovered by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles.

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Legally, Starlink is not entitled to operate in India because of security concerns. It is, however, permitted in Myanmar, bordering Manipur, The Guardian report added.

Leader of a Meitei separatist militant group, which is actually known as People's Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA), has told the publication that Starlink devices were used to access the internet while it was shut during those violent clashes with the authorities.

Furthermore, the source added that the group had started using the Starlink device in Myanmar but came to discover later that it also worked in Manipur across the border, the report stated.

“Our initial information suggests that Starlink indeed works in some areas of Manipur, particularly in some areas that are closer to the Myanmar border,” The Guardian quoted a senior police officer in Manipur as saying.

The report further stated that there were no disclosures regarding how many armed groups were using this satellite internet in the state because four other armed groups-two from the Kuki side and one from the Meitei side-denied that they had been using Starlink to go online.

According to two military personnel who are knowledgeable about the search operation and who spoke on condition of anonymity, a device identified with the Starlink logo was being used by a militant group, news agency Reuters purports.

Police believed smugglers were using a device installed on the net for navigation, as reported by Reuters.

They, however, claimed that this device was most probably smuggled across a porous border with Myanmar-the country ravaged by civil war-where the usage of Starlink devices by rebel groups has been reported by the media, although the company does not operate in Myanmar, it added.

What did Elon Musk say?

In turn, Elon Musk posted on X that "the Starlink satellite beams have been turned off over India" and "were never on in the first place".

The response followed an Indian Army tweet that posted on December 13 about a search operation in Manipur which has been troubled by civil unrest since the beginning of 2023.

It also included pictures of captured weapons and a satellite dish and receiver with a Starlink logo.

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Coincidentally, Starlink has been pursuing clearance within the territory of India to render services through satellites, and the Musk-owned company is trying to clear up any security issues tied to that.

Legal notice to Starlink

Earlier in December, police filed a legal demand with Starlink seeking purchasing details of a device recovered after catching smugglers with meth worth US$4.2 billion on the seas, Reuters reported.

In December, the Indian Coast Guard announced that it had discovered a Starlink device on board a boat it had seized near Andaman and Nicobar while being used to smuggle methamphetamine.

MHA steps in

According to reports, the ministry of home affairs has directed the department of telecommunications to take immediate action regarding the matter and necessary steps. However, queries sent to Starlink reportedly did not receive any answers from the company after sources close to the matter disclosed to The Times of India.

"Govt had written to Starlink to know about the ownership of the devices after their recovery with drug smugglers in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, but the company has refused to provide details citing data privacy laws," ToI quoted a source as saying.

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