Overview
- Airport security in Srinagar, which flagged a suspicious device during Sunday screening, detained US nationals Jeffrey Scott Prather of Montana and Haldar Koushik and turned them over to police.
- Officers first treated the item as a satellite phone, then said a preliminary check indicated a GPS or satellite communicator, with reports pointing to Garmin hardware that uses the Iridium network.
- Some reports said police registered FIR No. 96/2026 in Budgam, while later police statements described a routine inquiry with no case filed, reflecting conflicting accounts in local coverage.
- Police said Monday the pair were released after nothing suspicious was found, though the device was retained for analysis as part of the security review.
- India requires prior DoT clearance to carry or use satellite phones, prohibits Thuraya and Iridium services without approval, and the DGCA in January 2025 told airlines to warn passengers about these rules.