2 US nationals detained in Srinagar Airport after security check finds satellite phone in luggage

Two US nationals were detained at the Srinagar Airport in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday after a Garmin satellite phone was found in their luggage during a routine security check.

The individuals, identified as Montana-based Jeoffrey Scott and Haldar Kaushik, were questioned by the airport security, and then handed over to the authorities for further questioning.

This is because the use of satellite phones is banned in India without prior approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

The authorities are yet to determine why the US nationals had the satellite phone in their luggage, whether they had prior government approval to carry it, and how they obtained it, as per an Asianet News report.

Not only is the use of satellite phones strictly regulated across India, but the sensitive region in which their Garmin phone was confiscated—the Kashmir Valley—has raised concerns.

If found guilty of having the satellite phone without prior permission, the US nationals could face legal action under under the Indian Telegraph Act and/or related security laws.

Has this happened before?

Notably, this is not the first time that such security actions have been taken against travellers carrying satellite phones. In fact, two of the most recent confiscation cases involved US nationals as well.

The most recent case was that of Bright Andrew Clinton, a US-origin doctor who was detained at the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport on February 19 for possessing an illegal satellite phone.

The 45-year-old Alabama native was scheduled to fly to Delhi via Air India, but was detained during baggage screening. When questioned, he had replied that he had not known about satellite phones being illegal in India, and claimed that he had only kept it for emergency use and GPS location tracking, and had not used it till then.

After drafting a written apology, Clinton was reportedly let off with a warning at the time.

Back in May 2025, Missouri-based Rachel Anne Scott—also a doctor—was arrested by the Lawspet police at the Puducherry Airport for the same reason.

Scott, who had visited her friend in Puducherry and was on her way to Hyderabad, had been taken into custody for questioning.