Indian authorities have intercepted and seized a consignment of banned chemical weapons enroute from China to Pakistan. Led to raising concerns about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the region. The chemical, Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile (CS), known for its use in riot control and as an incapacitating agent during warfare, was seized during a routine check by Indian customs authorities.
The consignment, weighing approximately 2,560 kilograms and stored in 103 drums, originated from Chengdu Shichen Trading Co., a Chinese firm, and was intended for Rohail Enterprises, a Rawalpindi-based defense supplier. The shipment was onboarding the vessel Hyundai Shanghai, which sailed under the Cypriot flag from Shanghai Port, China, on April 18. The vessel made a stop at Kattupalli Port in Tamil Nadu on May 8, where the consignment was detained.
The chemical is listed on India’s export control list ‘SCOMET’ (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies) as a controlled substance. Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that the shipment contained Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile, a substance also listed under the Wassenaar Arrangement, an international arms control regime to which India is a signatory. Consequently, the consignment was seized under two Indian laws: the Customs Act, 1962, and the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005.
The discovery of such a large quantity of Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile bound for Pakistan raises significant questions about its intended use. This is not the first time India has seized material bound for Pakistan from China. China has previously been involved in supplying dual-use items and controlled substances to Pakistan. Earlier this year, Indian authorities intercepted and seized a consignment of CNC machinery capable of producing sophisticated components for defense, aerospace, and nuclear applications at Nhava Sheva Port in Maharashtra. The machinery was shipped from China, with COSMOS Engineering listed as the consignee, though reports indicated that DESTO, Pakistan’s defense science and technology organization, was the actual end-user.
In April 2024, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) sanctioned three Chinese companies for supplying key components to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program. The companies sanctioned were Tianjin Creative Source International Trade Co Ltd, Granpect Company Limited, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company.
The seizure of the chemical weapons shipment underscores the ongoing concerns about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the region and highlights the need for stringent international oversight and cooperation to prevent the illegal transfer of such materials.