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A Pakistani-Canadian national has been arrested for smuggling millions of dollars worth of American technology to entities associated with Pakistan's military and weapons programs. He was allegedly running a years-long scheme to circumvent US export control laws.
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The US Department of Justice, in a statement, revealed the man's identity as Mohammad Jawaid Aziz. The statement added that the 67-year-old man was arrested on March 21 in the Western District of Washington while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada. He remains detained, pending transfer to the district of Minnesota.
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What is the allegation against the Pakistani-Canadian man?
The indictment alleges that from 2003 to March 2019, Aziz operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services, a PTI report said. The purpose of the network was to obtain US-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan that were associated with the South Asian country's nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programmes, PTI added.
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As alleged, Siddiqui and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the true end-users of the goods from US companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection, a statement from the Department of Justice said.
Aziz has been charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; and violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison.
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As per the International Trade Administration, certain government and business entities in Pakistan are restricted from receiving advanced US technology. The US enforces export controls on dual-use goods and less sensitive military items under the Export Administration Regulations to protect national security. The US Department of Commerce closely monitors this.
(With inputs from agencies)