In response to concerns raised by the recent seizure of two of the company’s equipment, Elon Musk has declared that Starlink satellite internet services are no longer available in India. One was connected to a massive narcotics smuggling enterprise, and the other was discovered in a Manipur combat zone.
Musk’s company, Starlink, is currently applying for regulatory license to offer satellite broadband services in India. “Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India,” Musk explained on X (previously Twitter), adding that the service “was never on in the first place.”
His comments followed an announcement by the Indian Army regarding a Dec. 13 search operation in Manipur, a state in northeastern India grappling with prolonged communal violence. Photos shared by the army showed seized items, including weapons and a satellite dish with the Starlink logo.
According to people with knowledge of the search, a militant organization was purportedly using the Starlink gadget. The gadget may have been smuggled across the porous border with Myanmar, a nation enmeshed in civil war, according to suspicions. Despite Starlink’s non-official operations in Myanmar, media reports have revealed the use of Starlink devices by rebel factions in that country.
Indian police sent Starlink a legal notice earlier this month asking for the purchase information for a device found during a drug arrest. Methamphetamine worth $4.2 billion was seized from smugglers at sea, one of the biggest narcotics captures in Indian history. Authorities think the Starlink device was used for navigation by the traffickers.
The incidents raise significant questions about the misuse of satellite technology in sensitive and illegal activities. While Starlink aims to address India’s security concerns as part of its regulatory process, these events underscore the challenges of ensuring that advanced communication tools are not exploited for unlawful purposes.
