US has charged a 57-year-old Indian national, Sanjay Kaushik, with allegedly conspiring to export controlled US aviation components to Russian end users, the Justice Department reported. Kaushik, arrested in Miami on October 17, was indicted on November 21. He faces charges for conspiring to illegally export aviation components with dual civilian and military uses to Russia, violating the Export Control Reform Act.
Indian National Sanjay Kaushik Arrested In US : Illegal Export To Russia
Why In News
- US has charged a 57-year-old Indian national, Sanjay Kaushik, with allegedly conspiring to export controlled US aviation components to Russian end users, the Justice Department reported.
- Kaushik, arrested in Miami on October 17, was indicted on November 21. He faces charges for conspiring to illegally export aviation components with dual civilian and military uses to Russia, violating the Export Control Reform Act.
Sanjay Kaushik
- In addition, Kaushik is accused of attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia via India, and of making false statements related to the export process.
- If convicted, Kaushik could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million per charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence based on US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
- According to court documents, as early as March 2023, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kaushik conspired with others to illegally acquire US aerospace goods and technology for Russian entities.
- The goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, but were actually intended for Russian end users, the press release stated.
- One such instance involved Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchasing an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), which provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier. This type of component requires a Department of Commerce license to be exported to certain countries, including Russia.
- To obtain the required export license, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the final purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter.
- The AHRS was eventually detained before it could be exported from the US, and Kaushik and his co-conspirators intended to ship it to Russia via India.
- Earlier, the United States imposed sanctions on nearly 400 entities and individuals, including 19 Indian companies, for “aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine” by supplying critical technologies.
- The Indian companies listed are primarily suppliers of electronic components, aircraft parts, and machine tools, all deemed essential to Russia’s military-industrial base.
- MEA has said that that New Delhi is aware of these reports and emphasises its strong legal and regulatory framework for strategic trade and non-proliferation controls.
