Export Controls Bite as US Jails India-Based Broker for Russia Aviation Scheme

A Delhi-based businessman has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by a US court for conspiring to illegally export controlled aviation components from Oregon to Russia, underscoring the continued convergence of export controls, sanctions enforcement and national security priorities.

Sanjay Kaushik, 58, was sentenced in Portland, Oregon on 16 January 2026, alongside 36 months of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy under the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA). The case centred on a deliberate scheme to obtain US-origin aviation technology with dual civilian and military applications and route it to Russian end users via India, using false end-user declarations.

According to court findings, the conspiracy began in September 2023 and involved repeated transactions designed to circumvent US export licensing requirements. Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely represented that aviation components, including an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), were destined for use by his Indian company in a civilian helicopter. In reality, the equipment was intended for customers in Russia, a jurisdiction subject to extensive US export controls following its invasion of Ukraine.

AHRS technology is tightly regulated due to its role in aircraft navigation and flight control systems, and exports to Russia require explicit authorisation from the US Department of Commerce. While the specific system in this case was detained before it left the United States, prosecutors emphasised that the offence lay in the conspiracy and attempted export, not the success of the shipment.

US authorities were unequivocal in framing the case as a national security matter rather than a technical compliance failure. The Department of Justice highlighted the involvement of foreign co-conspirators and sanctioned Russian entities, reinforcing the view that export control violations increasingly sit alongside sanctions evasion as priority enforcement areas.

The investigation was led by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, with support from Homeland Security Investigations and US Customs and Border Protection. Kaushik was arrested in Miami on 17 October 2024 and has remained in custody since that time. He pleaded guilty on 9 October 2025 to conspiracy to sell export-controlled aviation components to Russian end users.

For firms operating in aerospace, advanced manufacturing and dual-use technology sectors, the case is a reminder that export controls enforcement is becoming more aggressive, more coordinated and more global. Misrepresentation of end users, routing goods through third countries and reliance on overseas intermediaries are all high-risk indicators that regulators are actively targeting.

The Kaushik sentencing reinforces a clear message from US authorities: export control breaches linked to Russia are being treated as serious national security offences, with custodial sentences firmly on the table for individuals who attempt to exploit gaps in global supply chains.

Read the press release here.