According to official sources, there were two seizures in Leh area while another was made from Nobra valley, 150 km north of this place.
The foreigners were identified as Hagel Katherine Elizabeth, a resident of New York in the US, Jacques Nicolos Emile Edmond from Switzerland and Figureas Porrent Carles from Spain.
They were trekking in the mountains in this area when signals were detected by the technical department of the state police and central security agencies, the sources said.
The satellite phones were seized by police and sent for forensic examination to Delhi while the foreigners were released after paying a fine of Rs 3,050, they said.
The foreigners, while given travel permit, were told that existing rules of Department of Telecom prohibit use of Inmarsat Satphones without prior permission from DoT.
Thuraya Satphone service is not permitted in India and anyone using any telegraphic device including Satphone unauthorisedly violates Indian Telegraph Act.
Also Read
The department of customs and central excise had issued a circular which mentioned that there were instances of satellite phones being brought in the country which poses a serious security threat.
The board has taken a serious note of unauthorised use of satellite phones in India and made it mandatory for foreign tourists having sat-phones to declare the same to the customs.
In fact such declaration was made a must for all the passengers having sat-phones.
The circular stated that besides such declaration to customs, the DoT permission was also a must otherwise the sat-phones would be confiscated and appropriate action in accordance with the law may be initiated.
The ministry of home affairs was asked to put up display boards at all the immigration control platforms regarding obligation of the travellers to declare whether they are carrying satellite phones.