India Stopped Ship From China To Pak At Mumbai Port Over Suspected Nuclear Cargo

Defense News ,India :-  In a recent development, Indian security agencies at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port intercepted a Karachi-bound ship from China on suspicion of carrying a dual-use consignment potentially linked to Pakistan’s nuclear and ballistic missile program. The Malta-flagged merchant ship, CMA CGM Attila, was halted on January 23, following intelligence input received by customs officials.

The consignment, which included a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine manufactured by an Italian company, was inspected by both customs officials and a team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The DRDO certified that the equipment could be utilized by Pakistan for its nuclear program and manufacturing critical parts for missile development.

CNC machines, controlled by computers, provide a level of efficiency, consistency, and accuracy not achievable manually. These machines have been regulated since 1996 under the Wassenaar Arrangement, an international arms control regime aimed at preventing the proliferation of equipment with both civilian and military uses. India, being one of the 42 member countries, actively participates in the exchange of information related to transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies.

The consignment, weighing 22,180 kilograms, was initially identified with 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 was actually sent by Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd and was intended for Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan.

Cosmos Engineering, a Pakistani defense supplier, has been on the radar of Indian authorities since March 12, 2022, when a shipment of Italian-made thermoelectric instruments was intercepted at the Nhava Sheva port. There are growing concerns that China might be serving as a conduit for Pakistan to acquire restricted items from Europe and the US, using deceptive practices to evade detection.

This incident is not an isolated one, as previous cases involve the interception of dual-use military-grade items shipped from China to Pakistan. The ongoing investigation seeks to determine if suspected Pakistani entities receiving these items are supplying them to the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO), responsible for much of Pakistan’s defense research and development.

Despite claims of adherence to international conventions by both Pakistan and China, the interception of covert shipments underscores persistent cooperation in potential proliferation activities, in violation of global agreements and regulations. The concern has heightened, particularly in light of the 2020 case where an industrial autoclave crucial for missile production was concealed as industrial equipment on a Chinese vessel bound for Pakistan.

In February 2020, another incident involved China supplying an autoclave to Pakistan under the guise of an "industrial dryer." The autoclave, seized from the Chinese ship Dai Cui Yun, carried a Hong Kong flag and had left the Jiangyin port in Jiangsu province, China, bound for Pakistan’s Port Qasim. Such seizures reinforce suspicions that Pakistan is engaging in the illegal trade of missiles, potentially violating the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

In a significant move in June 2023, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) sanctioned three Chinese companies, including General Technology Limited (autoclave supplier to Pakistan), Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development, and Changzhou Utek Composite Company, for their involvement in supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.

As the investigation unfolds, the international community is closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing the need for stringent measures to curb the illicit transfer of dual-use technologies that could contribute to the escalation of nuclear and missile capabilities in the region.