Is Pakistan procuring military-grade equipment from China?

Military-grade consignments originating from China and destined for Pakistan’s strategic entities have become the latest worry of Indian port authorities, who have doubled up efforts to scan the country’s coastline, ensuring maritime traffic passing through does not pose a threat to regional security. 

While in certain regions the risk has increased like the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden, Indian agencies are not losing sight of the threats that may reach Indian shores. Suspected clandestine proliferation activities have come to light in the last few months despite numerous seizures and even sanctions on alleged state-supported entities and shell companies. 

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Three interdictions between June and August are under scanner of defence and intelligence authorities – the first of 25,609kg aluminium alloy materials at Nhava Sheva port on June 11 while on voyage from Qingdao Port in China to Karachi; the second instance came soon after when a consignment packed in 14 packages, weighing 3,130kg was shipped on July 30 from Ningbo Port in China to Karachi and got interdicted at Nhava Sheva Port on August 15. 

The third was an interdiction of L-30 CNC lathe machine transshipped at Port Klang in Malaysia to another merchant vessel which began sail on July 7 to Karachi. When this vessel reached Pipavav Port in Gujarat on July 14, Indian customs authorities offloaded the consignment during a surprise check. These three cases have been reported to New Delhi which has ordered detailed inquiries to study the dual-use consignments. 

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The first case of seizure of aluminium alloy tubes and fittings has revealed that the tubes were made of aluminium alloy 6061 T6 type, considered suitable for manufacturing structural components for aerospace or missile industry. Further investigation shows how Multinational Engineering Associates, an alleged shell company of the infamous Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) was the consignee, and a Sharjah-based company, Cameron Scrap, was mentioned as the shipper.

“The use of a UAE-based front company was being done by Pakistan to avoid international scrutiny in procuring sensitive or dual-use equipment,” said a senior security official. The goods were seized under Section 110 of The Customs Act, 1962 and Section 5 of The Weapons of Mass Destruction and Their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005. 

Threats have multiplied since. On July 30, a Zhejiang-based Chinese supplier shipped a consignment of “Ceramic crucibles and riser tubes” to Pakistan. When this consignment set sail from Ningbo Port in China to reach Karachi, it was offloaded at Nhava Sheva Port on August 15 on the suspicion of port authorities. It turned out that the same company as in the case of the aluminium alloy tubes was the consignee. The detained consignment was examined by experts who found the confiscated items to be potential dual-use applications and also listed under SCOMET List category 4A008 as a controlled substance. 

The third interdiction further exposed how Pakistan is not only acquiring sensitive equipment from China, but also exploring other markets in the field of automation and CNC cutting technology. A CNC machine, worth PKR 23.7 million was shipped in May from Yokohama Port in Japan, transshipped at Port Klang in Malaysia to another Liberia-flagged merchant vessel when Indian customs officials decided to do a surprise check at Pipavav Port in Gujarat on July 14. 

Investigation revealed that one of Pakistan’s strategic entities had ordered the CNC lathe (Model: Microstar TNC-L30 Gang type) machine from a Japanese manufacturer. Documents revealed that the corporate branch of the ‘National Bank of Pakistan’ was the consignee of the equipment. 

“These entities do not justify the use of a sensitive equipment,” said an official involved in the investigation. “This is because the machine finds usage in numerous military applications, including manufacturing of key aircraft components like landing gear shafts, turbine blades, aircraft engine parts.” While Pakistan and China have vehemently denied shipments of any dual-use items on their shores, what adds to the worry of defence authorities is that the alleged misrepresentation of final user details by Pakistan, like in the case of Japan might have gone unnoticed in some other cases.