Pakistan Military Tech Smuggling Scheme: Dual Citizen Charged In MN

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A man accused of smuggling sensitive U.S. technology to entities tied to Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs is facing federal charges in Minnesota after his arrest at the U.S.-Canada border.

The indictment was unsealed Thursday, charging Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, 67, a dual citizen of Pakistan and Canada, with multiple federal offenses.

He is charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. He also faces a separate charge for violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Siddiqui was arrested on March 21 in Washington while attempting to cross into the U.S. from Canada, authorities said. He remains detained, pending transfer to Minnesota.

According to the indictment, Siddiqui used his company — Diversified Technology Services — to buy sensitive and restricted items from U.S. companies on behalf of banned entities in Pakistan.

Among those were goods subject to export regulations and listed on the Commerce Control List, authorities said.

Siddiqui and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the true end-users of the goods from U.S. companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection, according to investigators.

"I am proud of the strong partnership between my office and the Justice Department’s National Security Division," said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

"We have no tolerance for defendants who violate U.S. export laws to send U.S.-origin goods to prohibited entities—here, entities in Pakistan associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs. Mohamaad Aziz will now face federal justice here in Minnesota."

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Minneapolis, the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security in Chicago.

Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Endicott of the District of Minnesota and Nicholas Hunter, a trial attorney with the Justice Department’s National Security Division. They were assisted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jensen from the Western District of Washington and the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.