Chinese national detained in Kashmir after suspicious travel, Army intercepts online chatter

Security agencies question traveller who accessed Article 370 and troop deployment information

December 8, 2025

Chinese national arranged Indian SIM, visited key military zones without mandatory FRRO intimation

Chinese citizen questioned in Kashmir over CRPF search history and unauthorised travel

Security agencies in the Kashmir Valley detained a Chinese national after the Army intercepted unusual online chatter, officials said on Sunday.

According to officials, 29-year-old Hu Congtai arrived in Delhi on November 19 on a tourist visa that allowed travel only to Buddhist religious sites in Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi, Jaipur, Sarnath, Gaya and Kushinagar.

Despite these restrictions, he used his resemblance to locals to board a flight to Leh on November 20, bypassing the mandatory Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) counter at the airport.

Hu spent three days travelling through the Zanskar region and visited key locations in the Himalayan town before arriving in Srinagar on December 1.

A review of his phone history revealed searches related to the deployment of CRPF personnel in the Valley, officials said, adding that multiple agencies were questioning him. He had also managed to obtain an Indian SIM card from the open market.

While in Srinagar, Hu stayed at an unregistered guest house and visited a Buddhist site in Harwan, where an encounter last year had killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist. Phone data further showed that he toured the Awantipur ruins in South Kashmir, located near the Army’s Victor Force headquarters.

During his stay, he travelled across Srinagar, including Shankaracharya Hill, Hazratbal, and the Mughal Gardens along Dal Lake. His phone also contained searches linked to CRPF deployment and Article 370, which was abrogated in August 2019.

Officials said Hu is a Physics graduate from Boston University and claims to be a frequent traveller, with his passport showing visits to the US, New Zealand, Brazil, Fiji and Hong Kong.

He has been found in violation of visa rules and may be deported, officials added.

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