The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recovered a GoPro Hero 12 Black camera linked to the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 tourists. Investigators consider the device crucial in establishing pre-attack reconnaissance, movement patterns and operational preparations of the terror module involved in the assault.
According to officials, the camera had been supplied to China-based AE Group International Limited more than a year before the attack. Technical records indicate that the device was activated on January 30, 2024, in Dongguan, China. The manufacturer reportedly informed investigators that it does not possess downstream transaction details or end-user records.
The recovered camera is among several material objects and electronic devices examined as part of the larger conspiracy probe.
To trace the purchaser, end-user and associated technical records, the NIA is set to issue a Letter Rogatory (LR) to the competent judicial authority of the People’s Republic of China. An LR is a formal request from a court in one country seeking judicial assistance from another. The Ministry of Home Affairs has granted concurrence for issuing the request.
On March 2, a special court in Jammu permitted the NIA to seek judicial assistance from China after reviewing the agency’s application. The NIA had earlier issued a lawful notice under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to GoPro BV seeking supply chain and activation details of the device.
Investigators have emphasised that tracing the chain of custody and user attribution of the seized camera is vital to establishing evidentiary linkage and uncovering the broader conspiracy behind the attack.
The NIA had taken over the case from the Jammu and Kashmir Police five days after the incident, which is regarded as the deadliest civilian attack in the region in nearly two decades.
