A Karachi bound ship from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was stopped at Mumbai port by Indian security agencies on the suspicion that it contained a dual use consignment that could be used for Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs, officials said on March 2, 2024.
The customs officials, based on intelligence inputs, halted a Malta flagged vessel and merchant ship CMA-CGM Attila at port enroute to Karachi on January 23, 2024 and inspected the consignment, which included a Computer Numerical Control Machine (CNC) originally manufactured by an Italian company.
CNC Machines are basically controlled by a computer and produce a scale of efficiency, consistency and accuracy not possible manually. An inspection team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also inspected the consignment and certified that it could be used by the neighbouring country for its nuclear programme.
According to experts, the equipment would be useful in manufacturing critical parts for Pakistan’s missile development programme as well. Since 1996, the CNC machines have been used and included in the Wassenaar Arrangement, an international arms control regime aimed at stopping thr proliferation of dual use goods (civilian as well as military).
India is among the 42 member countries that exchange information related to transfers of conventional weapons and dual used goods and technologies. The CNC machines were used by North Korea in its nuclear programme.
The port officials, with specific intelligence have alerted the Indian Defence authorities who inspected the heavy cargo and reported their suspicions after which th consignment was seized the officials said, adding that the seizure falls under the prevention of possible proliferation by Pakistan and China.
According to documents, such as the bills of loading and other details of the consignment, the consigner was mentioned as Shanghai-JX Global Logistics Co Limited and the consignee was Pakistan Wings Pvt Limited of Sialkot.
However, a deeper investigation by the security agencies indicated that the consignment, weighing 22,180 kgs was shipped by the Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Limited and meant for Cosmos Engineering of Pakistan. This is not the first time when Indian port officials have seized such dual use military grade items being shipped from China to Pakistan.
Cosmos Engineering, a Pakistan defence supplier has been on the watchlist since March 12, 2022, when the Indian authorities intercepted a shipment of Italian made thermos-electric instruments at the Nhava Sheva port. The officials said three have been concerns that Pakistan might be utilizing China as a conduit to acquire restricted items from Europe and the US masking identities to evade detection.
Concerns have intensified over China’s support for Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes, exemplified by a 2020 case where an industrial autoclave crucial for missile production was concealed as industrial equipment on a Chinese vessel bound for Pakistan.
The ongoing investigation aims to determine if th suspected Pakistan entities receiving these dual used goods are supplying these to the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO) responsible for Pakistani defence equipment.
Despite assertion of commitments to international conventions by both China and Pakistan, the interception of such covert shipments underscores a persistent cooperation in potential proliferation activities, contravening global agreements and regulations, officials said.
In February 2022, China was supplying autoclave to Pakistan under the cover of an industrial dryer. The autoclave was seized from a Chinese ship — Dai Cui Yun — that carried a Hong Kong flag and had left Jiangyin port on the Yangtze River in Jiangsu province of China, bound for Pakistan’s Port Qasim.
The cooperation between China and Pakistan in acquiring sensitive items and equipment, coupled with China’s support in constructing nuclear power plants for Pakistan, has drawn scrutiny from international bodies, challenging established guidelines and control regimes.
Additionally, China has assisted Pakistan in constructing civil nuclear power plants. China has constructed four 300 MWe nuclear power plants in Chashma and two 1,000 MWe plants in Karachi, violating Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) guidelines. China has plans to construct another 1,000 MWe nuclear power plant in Chashma, they said.
