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First Post
11 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
FATF links dual-use equipment seized by India to Pakistan's missile programme
A dual use equipment seized by India from a Pakistan bound merchant vessel in 2020 is linked to Islamabad's National Development Complex that is involved in the country's missile development programme, a new report by the Financial Action Task Force has said. read more India's 2020 seizure of Pakistan-bound dual-use equipment has been linked to Islamabad's missile development programme, according to a new report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The equipment, intercepted from a merchant vessel is associated with Pakistan's National Development Complex, a key entity involved in the country's missile development. FATF, the global financial watchdog, referenced the case in its latest report, which outlines risks and vulnerabilities in the international financial and trade systems. The incident was cited under a section highlighting the misuse of the maritime and shipping sectors to move sensitive goods, including dual-use items that can be repurposed for weapons programmes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'In 2020, Indian custom authorities seized an Asian-flagged ship bound for Pakistan. During an investigation, Indian authorities confirmed that documents mis-declared the shipment's dual-use items,' the FATF report said. 'Indian investigators certified the items for shipment to be 'Autoclaves', which are used for sensitive high energy materials and for insulation and chemical coating of missile motors,' the report said. It said these sensitive items are included in dual-use export control lists of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The bill of lading of the seized cargo provided evidence of the 'link between the importer and the National Development Complex, which is involved in the development of long-range ballistic missiles,' it said. The export of equipment such as the autoclaves without formal approval from various authorities is a violation of existing law, the FATF said. Pakistan's National Development Complex (NDC) has played a crucial role in the development of Pakistan's missile programme. India had seized the dual-use equipment from merchant vessel Da Cui Yun at Kandla port in Gujarat on February 3, 2020. The Indian customs authorities had stopped the vessel for wrongly declaring an autoclave, which can be used in construction of missiles, as an 'industrial dryer'. The report said that significant vulnerabilities remain across the global financial system in countering the financing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Despite the grave threat posed by proliferation financing (PF), only 16 per cent of countries assessed by the FATF and its global network have demonstrated high or substantial effectiveness' in a process that evaluates the implementation of targeted financial sanctions under the United Nations Security Council resolutions on proliferation. The report said that unless the public and private sectors urgently bolster technical compliance and effectiveness, those seeking to finance WMD proliferation will continue to exploit weaknesses in existing controls. The report provided a detailed analysis of the evolving methods and techniques used to evade PF-related sanctions. 'Illicit actors are employing increasingly sophisticated methods to evade sanctions and circumvent export controls,' it said. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
FATF report links dual-use equipment seized by India in 2020 to Pakistan's defence agency
India confiscated equipment from a ship bound for Pakistan in 2020. The equipment is linked to Pakistan's National Development Complex. This complex is involved in missile development. The Financial Action Task Force report highlighted this seizure. The report also pointed out vulnerabilities in preventing weapons proliferation. The seized items were mis-declared as industrial dryers. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: A dual-use equipment seized by India from a Pakistan-bound merchant vessel in 2020 is linked to Islamabad's National Development Complex that is involved in the country's missile development programme, a new report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has seizure of the dual-use equipment used in developing missiles found mention in the report by the multilateral financial watchdog that highlighted vulnerabilities in the global financial report listed the case under a section on the misuse of the maritime and shipping sectors including to transport a range of commodities, including dual-use equipment."In 2020, Indian custom authorities seized an Asian-flagged ship bound for Pakistan. During an investigation, Indian authorities confirmed that documents mis-declared the shipment's dual-use items," the FATF report said."Indian investigators certified the items for shipment to be 'Autoclaves', which are used for sensitive high energy materials and for insulation and chemical coating of missile motors," the report said these sensitive items are included in dual-use export control lists of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).The bill of lading of the seized cargo provided evidence of the "link between the importer and the National Development Complex, which is involved in the development of long-range ballistic missiles," it export of equipment such as the autoclaves without formal approval from various authorities is a violation of existing law, the FATF National Development Complex (NDC) has played a crucial role in the development of Pakistan's missile had seized the dual-use equipment from merchant vessel Da Cui Yun at Kandla port in Gujarat on February 3, Indian customs authorities had stopped the vessel for wrongly declaring an autoclave, which can be used in construction of missiles, as an "industrial dryer".The report said that significant vulnerabilities remain across the global financial system in countering the financing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)."Despite the grave threat posed by proliferation financing (PF), only 16 per cent of countries assessed by the FATF and its global network have demonstrated high or substantial effectiveness" in a process that evaluates the implementation of targeted financial sanctions under the United Nations Security Council resolutions on report said that unless the public and private sectors urgently bolster technical compliance and effectiveness, those seeking to finance WMD proliferation will continue to exploit weaknesses in existing report provided a detailed analysis of the evolving methods and techniques used to evade PF-related sanctions."Illicit actors are employing increasingly sophisticated methods to evade sanctions and circumvent export controls," it said.
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
FATF cites India's seizure of dual-use tech from Pak-bound ship in new report
New Delhi: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has highlighted India's seizure of dual-use equipment used in developing missiles from a Pakistan-bound merchant vessel in 2020 in a new report flagging vulnerabilities in the global financial system for countering the financing of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The stopping of the Pakistan-bound ship and the seizure of dual-use equipment cited in the FATF report was widely reported by the Indian media, including Hindustan Times, when it happened in February 2020. (PTI File Photo) The report from the multilateral financial watchdog listed the incident involving Pakistan among six case studies in a section covering the misuse of the maritime and shipping sectors, including a vast network of vessels, ports and logistics, by illicit actors to evade sanctions and transport a range of commodities, including dual-use equipment. The stopping of the Pakistan-bound ship and the seizure of dual-use equipment cited in the FATF report was widely reported by the Indian media, including Hindustan Times, when it happened in February 2020. However, some aspects of the incident mentioned in the FATF report - such as the fact that the importer of the cargo was linked to Pakistan's National Development Complex, which is involved in the country's missile development programme - haven't been reported before. The FATF listed the incident as one of 'non-declaration of dual use goods under the prescribed export laws of the exporting country'. Though the FATF didn't name the exporting country, the ship was stopped in Indian waters while on its way from China's Jiangyin port to Pakistan's Karachi port. 'In 2020, Indian custom authorities seized an Asian-flagged ship bound for Pakistan. During an investigation, Indian authorities confirmed that documents mis-declared the shipment's dual-use items,' the FATF report said. 'Indian investigators certified the items for shipment to be 'Autoclaves', which are used for sensitive high energy materials and for insulation and chemical coating of missile motors,' the report said, adding that these sensitive items are included in dual-use export control lists of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), India and other countries. The report said the bill of lading of the seized cargo 'provided evidence of the link between the importer and the National Development Complex, which is involved in the development of long-range ballistic missiles'. The export of equipment such as the autoclaves without formal approval from various authorities is a violation of existing law, the FATF said. The National Development Complex (NDC), also known as the National Defence Complex, is a defence and aerospace agency under Pakistan's defence ministry. It has played a crucial role in the development of Pakistan's missile programme. HT had reported last month that a NDC facility at Attock in Pakistan's Punjab province that builds transporter-erecter-launcher vehicles for missiles was among military installations targeted by Indian drones on May 8 during hostilities between the two countries. HT had reported that the merchant vessel Da Cui Yun, which sails under the flag of Hong Kong, was stopped by India's customs department at Kandla port in Gujarat on February 3, 2020, for wrongly declaring an autoclave, which can be used in construction of missiles, as an 'industrial dryer'. At the time, the vessel was sailing from the Chinese inland port of Jiangyin to Port Qasim in Karachi. Indian authorities intercepted the vessel when it dropped anchor at Kandla following an intelligence tip-off. Experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), including a team of nuclear scientists, examined the cargo and determined that the 18x4-metre autoclave – a pressure chamber for carrying out various industrial and scientific processes - was a dual-use item that could be used for civilian or military purposes. The vessel was allowed to leave Kandla after the autoclave was seized. Reports at the time had suggested that the Da Cui Yun had sailed several times from China to Karachi via Indian ports carrying several cargoes of machinery. The FATF report said despite the 'grave threat posed by proliferation financing', only 16% of countries assessed by the watchdog and its global network have demonstrated high or substantial effectiveness in a process that evaluates the implementation of targeted financial sanctions under the United Nations Security Council resolutions on proliferation. The report said that unless the public and private sectors 'urgently bolster technical compliance and effectiveness, those seeking to finance WMD proliferation will continue to exploit weaknesses in existing controls'. The report highlighted the evolving methods and techniques used to evade sanctions related to proliferation financing and national and multilateral regime, and outlined how proliferation networks are sourcing dual-use goods, technologies, and knowledge - often through procurement networks and front companies - and using various financial channels to access the global financial system. The report listed the misuse of the maritime and shipping sectors as one of four main methods used to evade sanctions.
India Today
04-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
After BrahMos's Op Sindoor success, India ramps up hypersonic missile development
India is set to fast-track the development of its next-generation hypersonic cruise missile, BrahMos-II, following the success of BrahMos strikes on Pakistan's terror and military infrastructure during Operation Sindoor last decision marked a significant leap in the country's missile programme and came on the back of notable progress in indigenous scramjet engine technology by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).advertisementBrahMos-II, being developed as a joint venture between India and Russia under BrahMos Aerospace, is designed to reach speeds of Mach 6 to Mach 8 — six to eight times the speed of sound — with a strike range of up to 1,500 kilometres. Defence sources told India Today TV that high-level consultations between the two nations on the joint development of this hypersonic system are expected to resume shortly. The missile will be powered by a scramjet engine, an upgrade over the current BrahMos missile's ramjet propulsion system. The design of BrahMos-II is reportedly inspired by Russia's 3M22 Zircon, a scramjet-powered missile already inducted into the Russian Navy and capable of reaching speeds of Mach announced in 2008, the BrahMos-II programme faced several roadblocks, including restrictions under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which initially prevented Russia from sharing technologies with ranges exceeding 300 km. These hurdles were eased after India joined the MTCR in 2016. However, technological challenges and high costs also contributed to revival of the programme came amid intensifying global competition in hypersonic weaponry, with India now seeking to strengthen its strategic defence posture through enhanced Indo-Russian the BrahMos missile — inducted into all three wings of the Indian Armed Forces — is the world's fastest operational supersonic cruise missile, flying at Mach 3.5 with a strike range between 290 and 800 kilometres. The missile played a pivotal role in Operation Sindoor, where it successfully neutralised all intended targets using its fire-and-forget Projected CapabilitiesSpeed: Estimated between Mach 6 to Mach 8Range: Up to 1,500 kmEngine: Scramjet propulsionDesign influence: Based on Russia's 3M22 ZirconWeight: Approx. 1.33 tonnes (half the weight of the BrahMos-A air-launched variant)Platform compatibility: Expected to be integrated with India's LCA Tejas Mk 2In a key milestone, DRDO in April 2025 successfully tested the scramjet combustor for over 1,000 seconds — a breakthrough that signalled India's readiness to enter the hypersonic missile league.
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First Post
24-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
India, Russia begin talks to jointly develop advanced BrahMos missile following Operation Sindoor success
BrahMos, a joint Indo-Russian venture named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers was first inducted in 2005 as an anti-ship missile. Over time, it has evolved into a versatile system capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea, and air, targeting both surface and maritime threats. read more India and Russia have begun negotiations to jointly manufacture an advanced version of the BrahMos missile, following the missile's effective deployment during Operation Sindoor and the subsequent conflict with Pakistan, according to a report. As reported by the Economic Times, Russia has offered full technical cooperation for the upgraded missile in India. Initial discussions between New Delhi and Moscow have already taken place, ET has further learnt. India is progressing towards extending the range of the BrahMos missile to 800 km, with the maiden test already conducted, two officials independently confirmed. Additional trials are planned in the coming months to validate performance parameters of the extended-range variant. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Originally capped at 290 km due to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) limitations, the missile's range was increased to 450 km after India joined the MTCR in June 2016. More from World How Indian Air Force proved its mettle in Operation Sindoor India has marked a key milestone in indigenous defence manufacturing with the inauguration of a new BrahMos missile production facility in Lucknow. Set up at a cost of ₹3,000 million, the state-of-the-art plant is located within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor. The facility, spread over 80 hectares of land provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, is capable of producing up to 100 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles annually, along with 100 to 150 next-generation variants each year. The move is expected to significantly enhance India's self-reliance in defence production, in line with the government's broader push for indigenous capabilities under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. BrahMos, a joint Indo-Russian venture named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers was first inducted in 2005 as an anti-ship missile. Over time, it has evolved into a versatile system capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea, and air, targeting both surface and maritime threats. The integration of the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) variant into the Indian Air Force is seen as a major leap in aerial strike capability. The missile allows for deep, high-speed strikes from stand-off distances, significantly reducing pilot exposure to hostile airspace. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Its extended range and speed provide the capability to neutralise high-value targets such as enemy command centres, radar facilities, and maritime assets before they can respond effectively, giving Indian forces a strategic edge in modern warfare.
