NIA seeks China’s help to trace GoPro linked to Pahalgam terror attack

India’s premier counter-terror probe agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has taken a significant step in the ongoing probe into the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack by seeking judicial assistance from Chinese authorities to trace crucial information about an action camera linked to the case.

A special NIA court in Jammu has approved the agency’s request to issue a Letter Rogatory — a formal judicial appeal to a foreign court — asking for help in identifying the purchase and usage history of a GoPro Hero 12 Black camera seized during the investigation.

The camera has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the inquiry because investigators believe it was used to gather reconnaissance, study movement patterns, and assist in operational planning by the terrorist module responsible for the attack in the scenic Baisaran Meadow near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

During the probe, the NIA issued a notice to the manufacturer, GoPro BV, requesting details about the supply chain and activation of the device. The company responded that the camera was supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor based in Dongguan, China, and was first activated there on January 30, 2024.

However, the manufacturer said it did not retain records of downstream transactions or the identity of the end user. Because the camera’s activation, initial use and commercial trail falls under Chinese jurisdiction, the NIA says only judicial cooperation from China can help trace who bought and used the device and establish its full evidentiary connection to the attack.

India and China do not share a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), a common mechanism for transnational legal cooperation. As a result, the NIA has sought assistance under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), of which both countries are signatories.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the issuance of the Letter Rogatory, and the court’s order requires translated copies to be forwarded through diplomatic channels to Chinese authorities for further action.

The Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 was one of the deadliest in recent years, as armed militants ambushed tourists after questioning their identities, killing 26 people, including a Nepali national and a local guide. Pakistani terror groups have been blamed for the assault.

The NIA’s pursuit of international cooperation in the case underscores the complex challenges of tracing evidence across jurisdictions in transnational terrorism investigations.