B.C. man accused in conspiracy to obtain U.S. technology for Pakistan's nuclear weapons program

Jason Proctor · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 8:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A B.C. antheral is successful custody successful Washington state, accused of acting arsenic a middleman successful a years-long conspiracy to smuggle U.S. exertion done Canada successful a bid to bypass laws meant to bounds Pakistan's atomic ambitions.

According to an indictment filed successful U.S. District Court successful Minnesota, Mohammad Jawaid Aziz and 2 unnamed co-conspirators allegedly obtained thousands of dollars worthy of banned instrumentality for Pakistan's subject and weapons programs done a bid of beforehand companies.

The tribunal documents assertion Aziz — besides known arsenic Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui — was targeted successful a sting by an undercover U.S. authorities cause who acted arsenic an worker of a Minnesota steadfast progressive successful the merchantability of mechanical devices known as linear actuators.

The undercover cognition and the offences successful the indictment day backmost to 2019 — but U.S. authorities accidental Aziz was not arrested until March 21, portion helium was attempting to transverse from B.C. into Washington state, wherever helium is presently being held successful custody pending transportation to Minnesota.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Justice claims Aziz operated "an illicit procurement network" from 2003 to March 2019 done a Surrey-based institution named Diversified Technology Services, which helium ran retired of his home.

"The intent of the web was to get U.S.-origin goods connected behalf of prohibited entities successful Pakistan that were associated with the country's nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs," the connection says.

"[Aziz] and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the existent end-users of the goods from U.S. companies, often utilizing beforehand companies and transshipping goods done 3rd countries to evade detection."

Buying 'dual use' goods for restricted companies

Aziz is charged with conspiracy to interruption the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act.

None of the allegations person been proven successful court.

According to the indictment, the 67-year-old is simply a national of Pakistan and Canada. His 2 alleged co-conspirators are Pakistani nationals linked to Karachi-based International Trading Company, a steadfast allegedly utilized "to procure U.S. goods for prohibited entities successful Pakistan."

The tribunal documents item restrictions enacted by the U.S. since Pakistan archetypal tested a atomic instrumentality successful 1998 meant to support "dual-use" U.S. goods retired of the hands of organizations progressive successful the improvement of atomic weapons, missiles and drones.

A number of Pakistani authorities agencies and backstage laboratories have been placed connected the alleged 'Entity List' — including the Pakistani Atomic Energy Commission successful Islamabad.

"It was portion of the mode and means of the conspiracy that International Trading Company would person and process requests for quotes and acquisition orders from organizations successful Pakistan connected the Entity List oregon those organizations' beforehand companies," the indictment reads.

"Through Diversified Technology Services, on with different businesses helium utilized for akin purposes, [Aziz] would attack U.S. companies astir procuring the goods requested by the restricted Pakistani entities done International Trading Company."

U.S. prosecutors assertion the goods would either beryllium shipped straight to Pakistan oregon done 3rd countries. Aziz besides allegedly "would sometimes person the goods astatine his residence successful Canada."

'They person a commercialized application'

The tribunal documents see a elaborate database of hundreds of thousands of dollars worthy of items Aziz and his alleged co-conspirators are accused of purchasing, including thermal conductivity units, a integer video microscope and a centrifugal pump.

The authorities sting took spot successful 2019 arsenic portion of what was expected to beryllium the acquisition of astir $5,520 worthy of goods that were allegedly being sought by a beforehand institution for Pakistan's National Development Complex.

The tribunal documents assertion that Aziz contacted a Minnesota-based steadfast to unafraid the purchase, which was expected to beryllium delivered to his code successful Surrey.

But unbeknownst to Aziz, an undercover cause took implicit correspondence astir the order, telling Aziz the goods had been seized astatine the borderline " owed to a authorities hold, probably Customs" and noting that a imaginable crushed was "smuggling and export contrary to the law."

The cause asked Aziz what the intended exertion of the exertion was and was allegedly told "they person a commercialized application."

"They person cancelled the bid present owed [to] this delay," Aziz allegedly wrote. 

"Please support the items with you erstwhile released. We whitethorn find different customer."

The penalty for the charges is 20 years successful prison.