Mumbai: Indian Security Forces Intercept Ship Suspected of Carrying Dual-Use Equipment for Pakistan's Missile Program
MUMBAI: A recent event saw Indian security forces intercept a Malta-flagged vessel, the CMA CGM Attila, at the Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai. The ship, mid-journey from China to Pakistan, was suspected of carrying a consignment, a dual-use item that might aid in the production of Pakistan's nuclear and ballistic missiles. The shipment contained a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, overseen by a computer, which is subject to the Wassenaar Arrangement— an international armament regulation.
A team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) checked the cargo. They verified the possibility of its use in missile crafting in Pakistan. In Italy, the consignment was prepared and weighed 22,180 kg. Its destination? Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan, a company that supplies the defense department. Earlier, Cosmos Engineering had been marked for receiving items of limited availability intercepted at this very port in 2022.
The consigner was identified as "Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd". The recipient titled "Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd" of Sialkot. Further digging showed that it was Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd that dispatched the shipment. It's worrisome, the thought of Pakistan utilizing China as a go-between to secure items under restriction from Europe and America, cleverly hiding identities to elude tracking.
Hints have long existed that China might be supplementing Pakistan's nuclear program. In 2020, there was the supposed case of China supplying a vital industrial autoclave, used for missile manufacture in Pakistan, cloaked as regular industrial gear carried on a Chinese vessel. This action fanned the flames of suspicion that Pakistan is not respecting the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Three Chinese corporations, accused of providing missile-worthy components to Pakistan's ballistic missile endeavor received sanctions from the US last year.
A current investigation targets figuring out if dual-use items sent to Pakistani entities are connected with Pakistan's Defence Science and Technology Organization. Despite agreements with international treaties, catching secret shipments shows continued participation in probable proliferation activities, breaking global deals. Aid from China to Pakistan might involve sneaky supplies of sensitive materials or becoming an avenue to gather dual-use tools from other nations.
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