WASHINGTON: A Pakis­tani-Canadian national has been arrested in the United States for allegedly violating US export control laws by smuggling sensitive American goods and technology to entities linked to Pakistan’s military and weapons programmes.

According to an indictment unsealed on March 21, Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, 67, was taken into custody while entering the US from Canada. He remains detained, awaiting transfer to the District of Minnesota.

The indictment accuses Siddiqui of running an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company, Diversified Technology Services, from 2003 to 2019. The network allegedly acquired US-origin goods for restricted Pakistani entities linked to the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programmes.

US authorities claim Siddiqui and his associates hid the true end users of the goods by using front companies and rerouting shipments through third countries. Some of the items he allegedly procured were classified as restricted under US export regulations and the Commerce Control List.

Siddiqui faces charges of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Additionally, he faces charges under the Export Control Reform Act itself, which could result in up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing will be determined by a federal judge under US legal guidelines.

The US Justice Department, which announced the arrest, has not disclosed the names of the Pakistani companies Siddiqui allegedly worked with.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2025