Man from British Columbia Arrested in US for Allegedly Smuggling Goods to Pakistan’s Atomic Bomb Program
Authorities in the United States have apprehended a 67-year-old man from Surrey, B.C., on charges of smuggling prohibited goods to Pakistan’s military and its nuclear weapons program for more than 15 years.
According to a Friday news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Mohammad Jawaid Aziz was arrested while attempting to enter the United States from British Columbia on March 21.
The department stated that Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, illicitly transported “millions of dollars” worth of export-controlled items from the U.S. to Pakistan, including industrial workstations, a thermal conductivity unit, and a centrifugal pump.
An indictment revealed that Aziz owned and operated Diversified Technology Services in Surrey and used the company to acquire U.S.-origin goods for banned entities in Pakistan, including the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.
It should be noted that none of the allegations have been substantiated in court yet.
The Department of Justice confirmed that Aziz, a dual citizen of Pakistan and Canada, remains in custody as of Friday and is awaiting transfer to Minnesota, where much of the investigation was conducted.
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The indictment notes that Pakistan conducted its first nuclear test in 1998, leading the U.S. to impose export constraints on the country and entities associated with Pakistani military programs.
