Chinese passport, religious books, AI device found on US national arrested near Nepal border

A36-year-old American subject arrested piece allegedly attempting to traverse the India-Nepal edge lawlessly was carrying a Chinese passport along with several other documents and electronic devices, officials said on Tuesday.The accused, identified as Jordan Brown, a resident of California, was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district on Saturday. His arrest prompted questioning by multiple central intelligence and security agencies, given the nature of the documents recovered from him.Officials, however, said that no evidence of suspicious or anti-national activities has emerged from the investigation so far."Different agencies are independently verifying the details provided by him, including his identity, travel history, previous visits to other countries and the circumstances under which he entered India," a senior police officer said.According to investigators, Brown is believed to have entered India by sea in November last year. Authorities are now piecing together his movements over the past several months and examining whether his account matches immigration and travel records.Also Read: US national held at Nepal border, ‘had entered India via sea route without valid documents’Police said a detailed forensic examination of the items seized from Brown is also underway. Among the articles recovered were a Chinese passport, a mobile phone, Nepalese currency, religious books, an AI-powered translation device, a diary, a wristwatch and other personal belongings.Officials have not disclosed how Brown came into possession of the Chinese passport or whether it was genuine, saying those aspects are part of the ongoing investigation.Brown's travel trailDuring questioning, Brown told investigators that he had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he allegedly lost his passport, Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth said. According to his statement, he later travelled to Sri Lanka by sea before re-entering India through the sea route in November 2025.Police said Brown claimed he had been living in Goa since then and was attempting to enter Nepal when he was intercepted by personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) near the India-Nepal border.Officials said Brown was unable to produce any valid travel documents at the time of his arrest. Investigators are now verifying his account, including his movements across multiple countries and the circumstances surrounding the loss of his passport and subsequent entry into India.A case has been registered against him at Sonauli Police Station under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act for allegedly entering India without valid travel documents.This comes days after five Ukrainians and a US national were held by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their alleged involvement in providing terrorist and combat training to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar, ANI news agency reported. The six were produced before the Patiala House court on Friday last week.(With inputs from ANI)