India halts Pakistan-bound ship from China with alleged 'military-grade items'
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Mar 2, 2024, 4:04 PM ISTThe consignment, featuring a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine by an Italian company, underwent scrutiny by customs officials and a DRDO team, certifying its potential use in critical parts for Pakistan's missile development.
Indian security agencies have intercepted a Pakistan-bound ship originating from China at Mumbai's Nhava Sheva port, suspecting a 'dual-use consignment' that could be utilized in Pakistan's nuclear and ballistics missile program. The Malta-flagged merchant ship, CMA CGM Attila, en route to Karachi, was halted on January 23, following intelligence inputs.
The consignment, featuring a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine by an Italian company, underwent scrutiny by customs officials and a DRDO team, certifying its potential use in critical parts for Pakistan's missile development.
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There have been apprehensions that Pakistan might be leveraging China as a conduit to acquire restricted items from Europe and the US, using deceptive measures to avoid detection. The consignment's documents listed the consigner as "Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd" and the consignee as "Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd" of Sialkot. However, a deeper investigation revealed that the shipment, weighing 22,180 kilograms, was dispatched by Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd, intended for Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan.
Indian defence authorities, alerted by port officials, inspected the cargo and reported suspicions, leading to the seizure of the consignment. This action is framed within efforts to prevent potential proliferation by Pakistan and China. CNC machines, integral to the Wassenaar Arrangement since 1996, are subject to international arms control to curb the spread of equipment with dual civilian and military applications.
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This incident is not the first of its kind, as Indian port officials previously seized dual-use military-grade items shipped from China to Pakistan. Cosmos Engineering, a Pakistani defence supplier, has been on the watchlist since March 12, 2022, when Italian-made thermoelectric instruments were intercepted at the Nhava Sheva port.
In June 2023, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) sanctioned three Chinese companies for their involvement in supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan's ballistic missile program.
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