2 min readSrinagarUpdated: Apr 19, 2026 10:59 PM IST
Two US citizens were detained in Srinagar after the airport security recovered a satellite communicator and GPS device from their luggage, officials said.
After initial questioning by airport security, the duo were handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Police for questioning.
Police sources said that on Sunday, airport security recovered a satellite communicator and GPS device from the possession of a traveller during the standard security check at the airport.
The traveller was identified as Jeffry Scott Prather, a citizen of the United States. He was immediately detained along with his fellow traveller, who police sources said is a US citizen of Indian origin.
According to sources, a Garmin satellite communicator and a Garmin GPS device were found in Jefery Scott Prather’s luggage. The GPS device was manufactured in Taiwan. The devices work through the Iridium satellite network, which covers the entire globe and provides access in the most remote areas, including high-altitude regions.
The use of satellite phones, especially Thuraya and Iridium phones, is prohibited in India without permission from the government. The illegal possession of these devices can lead to a fine, arrest and seizure under the Indian Telegraph Act.
Sources said that the US citizen was scheduled to travel from Srinagar to New Delhi on an Air India flight on Sunday. But when he was stopped for routine screening at the airport, security personnel found a banned satellite phone and device in his luggage.
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The airport staff immediately detained him and his associate. Sources said that police are investigating the purpose of their visit to Kashmir and the intended use of the satellite communicator and GPS device.
