Chinese National Detained in Kashmir After Unauthorized Entry and Suspicious Searches on CRPF and Article 370

A Chinese national was detained after entering Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir without proper authorization, officials confirmed on Sunday.

Security agencies in the Kashmir valley were alerted by unusual internet activity intercepted by the army, leading to the apprehension of 29-year-old Hu Congtai, who had entered restricted areas without permission.

Hu arrived in Delhi on November 19 with a tourist visa that only permitted visits to specific Buddhist religious sites in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya, and Kushi Nagar.

Despite these restrictions, he managed to board a flight to Leh on November 20, bypassing registration at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office counter at Leh airport. His physical resemblance to locals may have helped him avoid detection.

During his unauthorized stay, he explored the Zanskar region for three days and visited various significant locations in the Himalayan town before traveling to Srinagar on December 1.

Officials discovered concerning searches in his phone history, including information about CRPF deployments in the valley. Multiple agencies are now questioning him about his activities.

Authorities revealed that Hu had obtained an Indian SIM card from the open market and stayed at an unregistered guest house in Srinagar.

While in Srinagar, he visited a Buddhist religious site in Harwan, an area where a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was killed in an encounter last year.

According to data extracted from his device and official reports, he also visited Awantipur ruins in South Kashmir, located near the army's Victor Force headquarters.

His itinerary in Srinagar included visits to Shankracharya hills, Hazratbal, and Mughal Garden along Dal Lake.

Concerning officials further, his phone contained searches related to CRPF deployments and Article 370 of the Constitution, which was abrogated in August 2019, ending Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

Hu, who holds a Physics degree from Boston University, claimed to be a travel enthusiast. His passport shows previous visits to multiple countries including the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji, and Hong Kong.

Officials indicated that since he violated visa regulations, the most likely outcome would be his deportation back to China.