A technological breakthrough prompted by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 in New York area is the latest militant tool baffling the Indian security establishment.
The technology, of sending mobile communications without using mobile networks, has given another twist to the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between militants and security agencies in recent months. For sometime now, Indian agencies have noticed infiltrating militants from Pakistan carrying smart phones without SIM cards. And they presumed the
militants would procure local SIMs in Kashmir for using them.
However, latest inputs, including interrogation of
Sajjad Ahmed, who was captured by the Army in August last week, show that the militants are adopting the breakthrough technological solution, primarily meant to ensure basic mobile communication even when mobile networks are down, to overcome eavesdropping by Indian agencies.
Indian agencies can today listen in on VHF conversations, mobile phones and satellite phones.
With accurate interception and monitoring of these devices, intelligence agencies, the Army and the BSF have been very effective in neutralising several militants, especially when they infiltrate into India.
These technical capabilities have dealt deadly blows to attempts to breathe life into a dying Kashmir militancy.
With the breakthrough capability to send bare mobile communications through VHF (very high frequency), the militants seem to have been successful in avoiding Indian agencies, especially during the crucial hours when they cross the Line of Control.
The technology is to pair a smart phone with a radio set, and send out short SMSs, an SOS appeal or the exact location to other paired devices using line-of-sight very high frequency. The first public discussion on the solution, and the most high profile product for it, emerged in the U.S. after the October 2012 Hurricane Sandy. The ineffectiveness of cell phones after mobile towers were destroyed by the hurricane was the reason for dreaming up the technological breakthrough.
The capability ensures that the
infiltrating militants have continuous, but bare, communication link with their handlers and other militants who are in the group, while avoiding tracking by Indian agencies. This capability is secure even in high peaks and ravines, especially near the Line of Control where conventional mobile and satellite phones can give away their exact location.
Ahmed, who was captured from
Rafiabad area, told his interrogators about what they call YSMS communication application. He said they were advised against using mobile phones, and to rely on YSMS for contact.
When Abu Suhaib, one of the militants in the infiltrating group and technology expert among them, was sure to be killed by the Indian Army on August 27 he tried to break up the system, However, Ahmed stopped Suhaib from fully destroying it. The Army later recovered the Samsung mobile phone and the wireless set paired to it for YSMS.
Sources said the recovered radio set is a traditional one, and not the slim gadget that U.S. start-up GoTenna has developed. “Which means this is either a Pakistani or a Chinese solution,” an official in a technical intelligence agency said.
“We have been recovering smart phones without SIM cards for sometime. Now we know the reason,” he said.
