They were Carrying Satellite Phones,arrested at Srinagar Airport

A US national and a man from Kolkata have been detained at Srinagar airport for carrying a satellite phone, sources said. The American, Jeffrey Scott Prather, was travelling with a Kolkata resident, identified as Haldar Koushik, sources said.

The use of any kind of satellite phone in India is allowed only with prior licence from the Department of Telecommunications. Anyone coming to India with a satellite phone in their baggage must declare it on arrival.

The authorities are questioning the two men, sources said.

It is especially sensitive in Jammu and Kashmir where Pakistan-backed terrorists may use satellite phones to communicate.