Manipur arms case: US national Van Dyke vows to reveal 'shocking details'

US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, one of seven foreigners booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Manipur arms training case, has said he will make public what he calls "shocking details" about his time in jail in India.

In a post on X on Monday evening, Van Dyke wrote that India had imprisoned him and several Ukrainians for more than six months and claimed this was "part of Russia's war against Ukraine". He said he would reveal more over the coming months through posts and media interviews. His X profile says he has fought in Libya and Ukraine. He did not offer evidence for the claim in the post, and there was no immediate response from the NIA or the Ministry of External Affairs.

Where the case stands

The NIA had earlier alleged that Van Dyke and six Ukrainian nationals entered India on tourist visas, travelled to the North East without the mandatory permits and crossed from Mizoram into Myanmar, where they allegedly trained ethnic armed organisations. The agency initially invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including conspiracy, and alleged that the group had helped assemble equipment.

In September, however, the NIA's charge sheet left out the UAPA charges and proceeded only under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. These are offences that can be compounded before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). A special NIA court then granted all seven default bail after they had spent about six months in custody.

Next hearing in February

At the last hearing on October 23, the court exempted the seven foreign nationals from appearing in person and allowed them to join the next hearing, set for February 24, 2027, by video. The court also gave the NIA three months for further investigation into Van Dyke's alleged role.

The agency has said its probe into the terror-related angle is continuing and that more allegations could be added in a supplementary charge sheet.

Why it matters for the region

The case drew wide attention because it linked foreign nationals to armed groups across the India-Myanmar border at a time when Manipur remains tense and the frontier with Myanmar's conflict zones is under heavy watch. Any new claims by Van Dyke are likely to revive political debate over how the case was handled.