Security agencies have intercepted a Chinese shipment of banned chemicals, totaling 2,560 kg, destined for Pakistan’s biological and chemical warfare programs at Tamil Nadu’s Kattupalli Port, officials reported on Thursday. The consignment, containing Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile (CS), a dual-use chemical used in riot control, originated from Chengdu Shichen Trading Co. Ltd. in China and was addressed to Rohail Enterprises in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The shipment was seized due to its classification under India’s export control list and international agreements like the Wassenaar Arrangement.
The intercepted shipment, comprising 103 drums, was transported on the vessel Hyundai Shanghai from Shanghai Port on April 18, 2024, arriving at Kattupalli Port on May 8, 2024. Customs authorities detained the cargo under the Customs Act, 1962, and the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005. Officials expressed concerns over the significant quantity of CS, highlighting its potential military applications amidst ongoing security operations in Pakistan, including efforts to manage unrest in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
This incident underscores ongoing worries about China’s role in supplying “dual-use” items to Pakistan, enhancing its military capabilities. Previous seizures, including high-precision CNC machinery and recent US sanctions on Chinese firms for supporting Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, point to a suspected proliferation network. Officials emphasized that this illicit collaboration between China and Pakistan poses a direct threat to regional stability and global security, urging immediate international action to counter these activities.
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