2 weeks Ago By Laura Dobberstein
Police in India are demanding Starlink turn over customer details to assist its investigation into the country's biggest ever single seizure of narcotics. Police in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands reportedly sent a legal demand to Starlink to reveal who purchased the internet device that assisted to navigate a boat transporting 6000kg of methamphetamine worth ₹360 billion ($4.2 billion) from Myanmar to the islands, which are a territory of India.
The authorities are also said to have asked for the payment method, registration details, and where the internet was used during the trip. The bust happened in November of this year, and resulted in the seizure of the boat, as well as the arrest of six Myanmar nationals. The vessel tried to pass as a legitimate fishing trawler, but aroused suspicion when an aircraft on routine patrol spotted it lingering near the aptly named Barren Island – an uninhabited scuba diving hotspot and home to India's only active volcano.
Police subsequently investigated. Details posted by Andaman authorities detailed their recovery of satellite communication equipment and navigation data that indicated the vessel had visited other islands in the archipelago. The police also found coordinates for a location south of the Indian territory in Sumatra, Indonesia, and mobile phone photo evidence of what appeared to be drugs.
The substances found on the boat were tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine. The Register has asked Starlink to detail its policies regarding such requests but has not received a response at the time of publication. Starlink does not currently have the proper licenses to operate in India but has spent years trying to secure them.
India’s telecoms minister last month revealed Starlink was in the process of procuring clearances. However, the situation remains precarious as the licenses have yet to be finalized – putting Starlink in a position where it may not want to appear uncooperative with the Indian police. Although a part of India, the group of 500 islands making up Andaman and Nicobar Islands is geographically situated closer to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.
The archipelago is famously the home of tribes who reject the modern world . Starlink is available in Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia, but its status varies. The service has formally launched in Thailand and Indonesia but remains unlicensed in Myanmar.
However, more than 3000 Starlink units are reportedly in use in the Southeast Asian nation. Many have turned to the Elon Musk-owned service to circumvent internet shutdowns and VPN bans imposed by the ruling military junta. ®.
