The seized shipment, on board an Asian-flagged vessel, was misdeclared in official documentation as carrying “autoclaves.” However, Indian investigators confirmed that the equipment—commonly used for processing high-energy materials and coating missile motors—falls under dual-use items regulated by India’s export control laws and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Crucially, the Bill of Lading linked the consignment to Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC), a state-owned defence and aerospace entity involved in the development of long-range ballistic missiles.
Founded in 1990 by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the NDC has long been under international scrutiny. In December 2024, the United States sanctioned the NDC under Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. The US government found that the NDC had acquired missile-related components from global suppliers through a covert network of front companies and Karachi-based intermediaries.
Also Read: FATF report uncovers Pakistan missile link in seized shipment by India
The FATF cited this case as a striking example of how dual-use goods are being misdeclared to bypass export regulations—a tactic frequently employed in state-backed procurement schemes aimed at weapons development.
The episode reinforces global concerns around weak export oversight and underlines the FATF’s call for tighter controls, enhanced due diligence, and greater cross-border cooperation to prevent the abuse of legitimate trade channels for illicit military advancement.
(Edited by : Sheersh Kapoor)
