JOIN USActing on information received from Central Intelligence Bureau about “suspicious communication” through a Thuraya satellite phone on March 17, a police team zeroed in on Bandehalli, about 50 km from taluk headquarters of Kollegal in Chamarajnagar district.
Police initially thought Naxals might be operating the satellite phone. They used Google Earth images and GPS gadgets to track down the handset. Seventeen persons, majority of them in their early 20s, were traced in a camp, the police said, adding most of them were school dropouts in Britain.
Questioning revealed that the group had received the satellite phone from Raleigh International official Dave Lddiarod, police said.
Based on information provided by campers, Mark Ashby, the country director of Raleigh India and project co-ordinator Deepak were questioned. Ten more Thuraya satellite phones were seized from them, police said, adding cases were booked against the duo in Ramapura police station in Chamarajanagar district and Jayapura in Mysore district on March 31. Raleigh officials were unavailable for comment.