Pakistan often describes China as its friend like no other in the global community and has benefited financially from the creation of infrastructure under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But how China will handle an Indian request for end-user details of a sophisticated GoPro Hero 12 camera is not known, as it is too early to perhaps comment on that. The Chinese response to an Indian request can be a very crucial part of the investigations.
This camera, made in the Netherlands, is a high-end versatile product used in extreme sports (besides other professional shootings) and is sought to be linked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to terrorists who carried out the Baisaran (Pahalgam) massacre of April 22 last year.
This particular camera, a GoPro Hero 12 unit, bearing serial No.C3501325471706, is believed to have been used in the terror attack. It was used by terrorists for taking pictures of the area before carrying out the attack, as well as during the attack and establishing this linkage is crucial for the investigating agency handling the case. The camera has been traced to a distributor in China named AE Group International. The NIA is now approaching the Chinese government to seek information on the device, who purchased it, and in whose name the bill has been paid.
According to an application filed by the federal anti-terror probe agency before a special court in Jammu handling NIA cases, a letter rogatory (LR; a judicial request seeking information from a foreign country) is being issued to seek assistance regarding the camera. This means officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also get involved in the case to help the investigating agency. This indicates how difficult an investigation of this nature can be and how it can linger on for a long time.
“….during the course of investigation of the aforesaid case, various material objects and electronic devices connected with the conspiracy and execution of said terrorist attack have been examined. One such crucial electronic device is a GoPro Hero 12 Black Camera, bearing serial No.C3501325471706, which is relevant for establishing pre-attack reconnaissance, movement and operational preparation of the terrorist module involved in Pahalgam attack,” the Jammu court said on Monday. This mention in the court and subsequent action permitting NIA to issue an LR to China is being considered one step further in the probe.
NIA originally approached the GoPro manufacturer in the Netherlands, seeking details on the supply chain and device activation.
The manufacturer, GoPro BV, informed the agency that the camera “was supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor based in the People’s Republic of China, and was activated on January 30, 2024 at Dongguan, People’s Republic of China.” That also means the camera was in the possession of someone in China before it reached Pahalgam. On the face of it, the camera unit was purchased in China, then someone carried it to Pahalgam. Since it was one of the material pieces of evidence linking the attack to Pakistani terrorists, the passage from China to Pahalgam (via Pakistan?) needs to be found out.
The NIA had earlier approached GoPro BV, the camera’s manufacturer, for details regarding its supply chain and activation. In its response, GoPro BV informed the agency that the camera had been supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor based in the People’s Republic of China. “The camera was activated on January 30, 2024, at Dongguan, People’s Republic of China,” the agency told the court. “The manufacturer has further stated that it does not possess downstream transaction details or end-user records of the said device.” Dongguan is an industrial city in Guangdong Province, China.
These end-user details may be available from AE International, which sold the camera to the end user. Hence, the NIA requests these details relevant to its investigation.
“The activation, initial use and commercial trial of the said device lie within the territorial jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the information necessary to trace the purchaser, end-user and associated technical records can only be obtained through judicial assistance of the Chinese authorities, hence the application,” said the court order issued on Monday.
The court’s decision allowing the NIA to issue the LR to China is being considered a step forward.
The April 22 terror attack at the picturesque Baisaran meadow had brought India and Pakistan at the brink of a full-scale war. India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu Kashmir (POJK) before the May 10 ceasefire.
Three terrorists — Suleiman Shah, Hamza Afghani alias Afghan and Jibran–– shot dead 25 tourists, at least two dozen of whom were Hindus, duly identified by them at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam. According to several news reports, these terrorists then tried to move out but were killed by security forces during an encounter on July 28 in the Dachigam forest area.
The camera is important for establishing pre-attack reconnaissance, movement and operational preparation of the terrorist module. Accessing the necessary end-user details regarding the camera poses a significant challenge for the NIA. Thi challenge stems from the fact that India and China are not signatories to mutual legal assistance treaties, such as the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). According to one report, the agency is now likely to seek assistance under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC). This is a more omnibus international law under which assistance can be sought and provided.
