📷 Image Credits: Firstpost
In a recent development, security agencies have seized a significant Chinese shipment of internationally banned chemicals at a port in Tamil Nadu, India. The consignment, which included Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile (CS), a chemical used for tear gas and riot control agents, was reportedly intended for Pakistan’s biological and chemical warfare program. This seizure has raised concerns over the potential military use of these chemicals, especially given the ongoing internal conflicts in Pakistan.
The 2560-kg shipment originated from the Chinese firm Chengdu Shichen Trading Co. Ltd. and was consigned to Rohail Enterprises, a Rawalpindi-based defense supplier in Pakistan. Customs authorities detected the shipment during routine checks as the chemical fell under India’s export control list of Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies (SCOMET) as a controlled substance. Further investigation revealed that the consignment was a listed substance under the Wassenaar Arrangement, of which India is a signatory.
The involvement of Chinese companies in supplying components to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program has deepened concerns over proliferation activities. This incident underscores an alleged proliferation network between China and Pakistan, with previous cases pointing towards a pattern of supplying dual-use items and controlled substances. Additionally, reports indicate that China has been supplying other dual-use items to Pakistan, further highlighting the complicity of China in aiding Pakistan’s military advancements.
The seizure of this consignment comes in the wake of previous incidents where security agencies intercepted sensitive equipment linked to Pakistan’s defense industry. Such illicit activities pose a direct threat to regional stability and global security, emphasizing the urgent need for international intervention to curb proliferation efforts. The blatant violations of international regulations and agreements by Pakistan and China demonstrate the grave implications of these unlawful activities and the risks they pose to global peace and security.
