A GoPro Hero 12 camera believed to have been used during the April 22 terror attack at Baisaran Meadow in Pahalgam has been traced back to a distributor in China. The National Investigation Agency has approached Chinese authorities for further details regarding the device. In an application submitted before a Jammu court, the federal anti-terror agency sought permission to issue a letter rogatory, a formal judicial request to a foreign country for assistance in obtaining information related to the investigation.

According to the court order, investigators examined multiple material objects and electronic devices linked to the conspiracy and execution of the attack. Among them was a GoPro Hero 12 Black camera with serial number C3501325471706, which is considered significant in establishing pre-attack reconnaissance, movement, and operational planning by the terrorist group involved in the Pahalgam incident.

The NIA had earlier contacted the Netherlands-based manufacturer, GoPro, to gather information about the device’s supply chain and activation details. GoPro B.V. informed the agency that the camera had been supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor located in the People’s Republic of China, and was first activated on January 30, 2024, in Dongguan, China.

The manufacturer also clarified that it does not maintain records of downstream sales or end users. Since the activation, initial use, and commercial transaction trail fall within China’s jurisdiction, the relevant purchaser and technical data can only be obtained through formal judicial cooperation with Chinese authorities. The Jammu court subsequently approved the NIA’s request to issue the letter rogatory.

The April 22 attack at Baisaran Meadow had escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, bringing the two countries close to a full-scale conflict. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir before a ceasefire was reached on May 10. The three militants responsible for the attack — Suleiman Shah, Hamza Afghani alias Afghan, and Jibran — who killed 25 tourists and a pony operator, were later neutralized by security forces during an encounter on July 28 in the Dachigam forest area.