Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, Export Control Violation, Washington 2023

A 67-year-old Pakistani-Canadian national was arrested in Washington state after a years-long scheme to circumvent U.S. export control laws was uncovered, authorities announced yesterday.

Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, was taken into custody on March 21 while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada, and remains detained pending transfer to the District of Minnesota.

According to the indictment, Siddiqui operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services, which he used to obtain U.S.-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs.

Between 2003 and 2019, Siddiqui allegedly procured sensitive and restricted items subject to export administration regulations (EAR) and those on the Commerce Control List from U.S. companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection.

The indictment charges Siddiqui with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison, as well as violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory 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.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations Minneapolis, the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Chicago Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the Department’s Office of International Affairs.

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