Dual Use Technology & Sanctions Evasion: Dual National Charged in Long-Running Export Control Scheme

The recent arrest of dual Pakistani-Canadian national Mohammad Jawaid Aziz (also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui) highlights a significant case of alleged sanctions evasion and illicit trafficking in dual use technology. Siddiqui is accused of running a covert procurement network for over 15 years, smuggling sensitive US goods to Pakistan-based entities linked to the country’s nuclear, missile and UAV programmes - entities subject to longstanding US sanctions.

At the core of the indictment is the alleged unlawful export of dual use items - goods and technologies with both civilian and military applications - that are strictly controlled under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and appear on the Commerce Control List (CCL). Siddiqui is said to have used his Canada-based company, Diversified Technology Services, to acquire these goods from unwitting US suppliers, masking the true end-users through front companies and transshipment routes designed to circumvent export controls and sanctions frameworks.

This case underscores the enduring risk posed by complex global procurement networks that target Western-origin dual use technologies, often with the aim of advancing military or WMD capabilities. It also reflects the methods used to defeat sanctions regimes, particularly through obfuscation of ownership, layered intermediaries, and jurisdictional arbitrage.

The investigation led by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) demonstrates the need for coordinated enforcement and proactive compliance. For businesses, especially exporters of sensitive goods, the case reinforces the critical importance of end-user verification, sanctions screening, and red flag awareness when operating in high-risk sectors or regions.

While Siddiqui remains presumed innocent until proven guilty, the charges carry a maximum combined penalty of 25 years. The outcome of this case is likely to have broader implications for export control compliance and sanctions enforcement particularly in relation to dual use trade across North American borders.

Read the press release here.