Security agencies intercepted a vessel bound for Karachi from China at Mumbai's Nhava Sheva port on January 23, suspecting it to be carrying items potentially useful for Pakistan's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, according to officials briefed on the matter on Saturday.
The seized dual-use consignment, included a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine of Italian origin, from the Malta-flagged merchant ship CMA CGM Attila, en route to Karachi, based on intelligence inputs.
What is CNC?
A CNC machine is a computer-controlled manufacturing tool that ensures efficiency and precision in operating machinery like grinders and lathes. Covered by the Wassenaar Arrangement since 1996, it aims to control the spread of dual-use technology.
CNC machines, controlled by computers, offer unmatched efficiency, consistency, and accuracy compared to manual operation. India, a member, shares information on weapon transfers. North Korea used a CNC machine in its nuclear program.
Brief given by Customs Officials
Customs officials stated that,“We acted on a specific intelligence received from central agencies and stopped the ship for examining the consignment. The consignment is seized under the prevailing policies, as it can be used also for nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.”
As per reports, “Officials stated that a team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) inspected the consignment and confirmed its potential use by the neighboring country in its nuclear program.”
"Despite claims of adherence to international treaties by Pakistan and China, the interception of clandestine shipments highlights ongoing cooperation in potential proliferation endeavors, in violation of global agreements and regulations," officials said.
“The port officials, with specific intelligence, had alerted the Indian defence authorities who inspected the heavy cargo and reported their suspicions, after which the consignment was seized,” the officials said, adding that the seizure falls under the prevention of possible proliferation by Pakistan and China.
As per the report, officials noted that documents, including bills of loading, identified the sender as "Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd" and the recipient as "Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd" in Sialkot, for the consignment originating from China.
Upon deeper investigation, security agencies discovered that the 22,180-kilogram consignment was dispatched by Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd, with its destination being Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan.
The ongoing investigation seeks to determine if the suspected Pakistani entities receiving these dual-use items are subsequently supplying them to the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO), which plays a crucial role in Pakistan's defense research and development efforts.
This seizure is not the first instance of Indian port authorities intercepting similar dual-use military-grade items en route from China to Pakistan.
Consignment meant for Cosmos Engineering
Insiders revealed that the consignment was destined for Cosmos Engineering in Karachi, a company primarily involved in manufacturing automobile parts and household appliances. Additionally, the company produces firefighting systems, CCTV cameras, solar panels, heavy industry equipment, and research tools.
Cosmos Engineering, a supplier to the Pakistani defence sector, has been under scrutiny since March 12, 2022, following the interception of a shipment of Italian-made thermoelectric instruments by Indian authorities at the Nhava Sheva port.
India’s concerns around Chinese assistance to Pakistan
Officials have raised concerns about Pakistan potentially leveraging China as a channel to acquire restricted items from Europe and the US, employing disguises to evade detection.
Worries have escalated regarding Chinese assistance for Pakistan's nuclear and missile initiatives, as evidenced by a 2020 incident involving the concealment of an industrial autoclave, essential for missile production, under the guise of industrial equipment on a Chinese vessel destined for Pakistan.
In February 2020, China attempted to supply an autoclave to Pakistan disguised as an "industrial dryer." The autoclave was confiscated from a Chinese vessel, the Dai Cui Yun, flying a Hong Kong flag, which had departed from the Jiangyin port on the Yangtze River in Jiangsu province, China, destined for Pakistan's Port Qasim.
The confiscation of the autoclave, suspected to be intended for Pakistan's missile program, heightens concerns that Pakistan is engaging in illicit missile trade and violating the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
In June 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies—General Technology Limited (the autoclave supplier to Pakistan), Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development, and Changzhou Utek Composite Company—for their roles in supplying items applicable to Pakistan's ballistic missile program.
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