China’s Bafeong walkie-talkies link insurgency groups across India
- In Reports
- 12:36 PM, Jul 08, 2024
- Myind Staff
In a striking similarity across regions plagued by insurgency, Baofeng walkie-talkie sets, manufactured by China’s Fujian Baofeng Electronics Co., have become the communication tool of choice. These devices have been frequently recovered in areas of conflict, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Manipur, and even Myanmar.
On June 22, during an operation in the jungles of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, a joint team of CRPF and Chhattisgarh police discovered a cache of fake currency notes, ink, printers, and eight Baofeng walkie-talkie sets. The same day, in Manipur’s Kakching area, security forces, acting on a tip-off, unearthed two Baofeng sets and 37 hand grenades from a hidden arms dump in the jungle.
A senior security officer in Manipur, who requested anonymity, disclosed that over 100 Baofeng walkie-talkie sets have been recovered in the past year. “The number is easily in the hundreds. Insurgents and even village volunteers are using these sets to communicate in the jungles. Throughout the ethnic clashes that began in May last year, we have recovered Baofeng walkie-talkies. In June-July last year, the state government banned their sale. However, people still obtain them from nearby states such as Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, or online.”
Priced between ₹1,800 and ₹16,000 online, these walkie-talkie sets have also been intercepted by Indian forces while being smuggled by Myanmar’s anti-military rebel forces. On May 18, an Assam Rifles team arrested a member of Myanmar’s Chinland Defence Force (CDF) transporting 14 Baofeng devices across the border.
“Our investigations have shown that these walkie-talkies can communicate within a 5 km range, though obstacles like hills can reduce their efficacy. However, by connecting multiple devices on a specific frequency, the range can be extended to almost 10 km,” explained the security officer. While the Army’s Signal Intelligence Unit can monitor these communications, state police forces lack such resources.
According to Mizoram police, from January 1 to May 30, they recovered 314 Baofeng sets and 10 other walkie-talkie sets. Lieutenant General (Retired) Konsam Himalaya Singh, a Manipur resident and former army leader, noted, “We observed this trend in Jammu and Kashmir over a decade ago. The terrorists there later switched to Thuraya satellite handsets. In the absence of cell networks in jungle areas, insurgent groups rely on walkie-talkies for communication. They use the public frequency band, which, although low quality, serves their purpose. These are Chinese companies, indicating a Chinese footprint here.”
The widespread use of Baofeng walkie-talkies highlights a critical aspect of communication among insurgent groups and village volunteers in conflict zones, underscoring the ongoing challenge for security forces in monitoring and intercepting these communications.
Image source: HT
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