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Pakistani Man Indicted for Smuggling
May 2025
The U.S. Department of Justice indicted the head of an illicit procurement network that was allegedly exporting sensitive technologies to Pakistan to advance the country’s nuclear and missile programs.
According to a March 28 statement from the department, Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, a Pakistani-Canadian dual citizen, was arrested March 21 when he crossed from Canada into Washington state. On March 28, the department unveiled an indictment charging Aziz with violating U.S. export laws.
The indictment alleges that Aziz operated an illicit procurement network through his company based in Canada from 2003 to 2019. The company, Diversified Technology Services, exported millions of dollars of U.S. materials and technologies to entities in Pakistan involved with developing missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and nuclear weapons. The network deliberately obscured the end recipients by using front companies and shipping materials through third-party countries, the statement says.
Pakistan first tested a nuclear device in 1998 and continues to expand its arsenal. In December, the United States accused Pakistan of developing long-range ballistic missiles and announced new sanctions targeting entities involved in developing those systems. (See ACT, January/February 2025.)—KELSEY DAVENPORT