In January, security agencies at Mumbai's Nhava Sheva port intercepted a vessel bound for Karachi from China, suspecting it of carrying goods possibly intended for Pakistan's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as per officials speaking to news agency PTI on Saturday.
Acting on intelligence alerts, customs authorities halted the Malta-flagged merchant ship, CMA CGM Attila, en route to Karachi on January 23.
According to PTI sources, officials disclosed that a team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) examined the cargo, which included a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, confirming its potential applicability in Pakistan's nuclear endeavors.
CNC machines fall under the purview of the Wassenaar Arrangement, an international pact aimed at regulating the dissemination of items with both civilian and military uses, with active participation from India. Notably, North Korea utilized a CNC machine in its nuclear pursuits.
Further scrutiny uncovered irregularities in shipping records, indicating efforts to conceal the true recipients, as per PTI's account.
This occurrence aligns with a series of interdictions involving dual-use military-grade materials being transported from China to Pakistan, raising concerns about illicit procurement practices.
Ongoing investigations seek to ascertain potential ties between the suspected Pakistani beneficiaries of these materials and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO), responsible for Pakistan's defense research and development.
A probe is underway to ascertain the specifics of the shipment. According to officials cited in the report, documents such as bills of lading indicated that the sender was "Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd," while the receiver was "Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd" in Sialkot.
However, upon further inquiry, security agencies discovered that the 22,180-kilogram cargo was actually dispatched by Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd, destined for Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan.
This is not the inaugural instance of Indian port authorities seizing such dual-use military-grade materials en route from China to Pakistan. Cosmos Engineering, a Pakistani defense supplier, has been under scrutiny since March 12, 2022, when Indian authorities intercepted a shipment of Italian-manufactured thermoelectric devices at the Nhava Sheva port.
