US mercenary Matthew VanDyke gets bail 6 months after NIA arrest

Matthew Aaron VanDyke, an American national arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly providing training to armed groups in Myanmar, was granted default bail by a Delhi court on Friday. VanDyke is one of seven foreign nationals arrested in the case.

The NIA court at Rouse Avenue Court granted VanDyke bail on a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a surety of Rs 1 lakh. Default bail is granted when an investigating agency fails to file its chargesheet within the legally prescribed time.

The court said VanDyke will have to remain in Delhi after his release and appear before the NIA whenever he is called for questioning as part of the investigation.

VanDyke had sought default bail, arguing that the investigation had not been completed within the legally prescribed period.

The court also observed that the six Ukrainian nationals arrested in the same case would be entitled to bail on similar grounds.WHAT IS THE CASE AGAINST VANDYKE

The NIA arrested VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals in March 2026 in connection with allegations that they had travelled to Myanmar and provided training in weapons and drone operations to ethnic armed groups.

VanDyke was arrested at Kolkata airport on March 13, while the six Ukrainians — Petro Hurba, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Maksim Honcharuk and Viktor Kaminskyi — were arrested at airports in Delhi and Lucknow.

According to the NIA's allegations, the group travelled to Mizoram without the required permit for foreigners and then illegally crossed into Myanmar.

The agency alleged that they came in contact with ethnic armed groups in Myanmar and provided training in areas including weapons handling and drone warfare. The NIA also alleged that drones were brought from Europe for use in the training.

The case initially involved charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including a provision relating to conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.

However, the NIA's chargesheet filed earlier this month did not invoke the UAPA provisions. Instead, the agency charged the accused under the Immigration and Foreigners Act for offences relating to the entry and stay of foreigners in India.

The NIA subsequently clarified that its investigation into the alleged terror angle was still continuing and that supplementary chargesheets could be filed if further evidence emerged.TERROR ANGLE STILL UNDER PROBE

The agency has maintained that the chargesheet did not mark the end of its investigation into the alleged links between the accused and armed groups in Myanmar.

The NIA had also told the court that it was investigating allegations that the group was involved in a drone attack on a civilian aircraft in Myanmar. It was not immediately clear which specific incident the agency was referring to.

VanDyke's detention had also attracted attention in the United States, with his family appealing to the Donald Trump administration for intervention. US officials had raised the matter with Indian authorities as part of normal consular engagement.

The NIA has maintained that such diplomatic or consular communications would not determine the outcome of its investigation.WHO IS MATTHEW VANDYKE?

VanDyke is a US national who has been involved in armed conflicts and military training in several countries.

He first gained prominence during the 2011 Libyan civil war, when he joined forces fighting Muammar Gaddafi's regime. He was captured by Gaddafi's forces during the conflict and was held as a prisoner of war before being released after the fall of the regime.

He later said he fought against Islamic State in Iraq and became involved in training Ukrainian civilians and military personnel following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. VanDyke is also the founder of Sons of Liberty International, an organisation that describes itself as providing security and military training.

The NIA's allegations against VanDyke and the six Ukrainians in the Myanmar case remain under investigation.

With VanDyke now granted default bail, the probe into the alleged terror links and activities in Myanmar is set to continue even as the accused remains out of custody.- EndsPublished By: Anuja JhaPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 15:59 IST