U.S. authorities have arrested a 67-year-old man from Surrey, and accused him of smuggling banned goods to Pakistan’s military and its nuclear weapons program for more than 15 years. Read More
U.S. Department of Justice said Mohammad Jawaid Aziz was arrested trying to cross into the U.S. from B.C. on March 21
U.S. Department of Justice said Mohammad Jawaid Aziz was arrested trying to cross into the U.S. from B.C. on March 21
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U.S. authorities have arrested a 67-year-old man from Surrey, and accused him of smuggling banned goods to Pakistan’s military and its nuclear weapons program for more than 15 years.
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The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release that Mohammad Jawaid Aziz was arrested trying to cross into the U.S. from B.C. on March 21.
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The department said Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, smuggled “millions of dollars” worth of export-controlled items from the United States to Pakistan, including industrial computer workstations, a thermal conductivity unit and a centrifugal pump.
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“From as early as 2003 through approximately March 2019, Siddiqui operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services,” the news release from the department said.
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“The purpose of the network was to obtain U.S.-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan that were associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and unmanned aerial vehicle programs.”
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None of the allegations have been proven in court.
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A young man answered the door Monday at the grey, multi-storey home in Surrey that U.S. authorities list as Aziz’s residence and the address of Diversified Technology Services.
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He declined to comment.
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The man, who did not identify himself, said “no” when asked if Aziz had legal representation who could comment on the case or confirm any details.
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The Department of Justice said Aziz, a dual citizen of Pakistan and Canada, remained in custody in Seattle on Monday, and will be transferred to Minnesota where the investigation is largely based.
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The indictment says Pakistan first tested a nuclear bomb in 1998, and the United States has imposed export and re-export restrictions on the country and entities linked to the Pakistani military programs since then.
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The partially unsealed indictment said Aziz owned and operated Diversified Technology Services and used the firm as part of a system to “willfully export … goods from the United States to entities in Pakistan that were designated on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List without first having obtained the required licenses.”
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“Through Diversified Technology Services, along with other businesses he used for similar purposes, (Aziz) would approach U.S. companies about procuring the goods requested by the restricted Pakistani entities,” the indictment said.
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The court document said those involved in the alleged scheme would then “submit quotes” to the restricted Pakistani entities based on U.S. pricing information and add an “upcharge” to profit from the transaction.
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