India Detains Pakistan Bound Ship Off Gujarat Coast Carrying Equipment Used To Launch Ballistic Missiles

Indian Custom authorities have detained a Pakistan bound ship which wrongly declared an autoclave - used in missile launches, as an industrial dryer, Hindustan Times has reported.

This incident happened earlier this month. As per the report, the Hong Kong ship which was heading towards Karachi’s Port Qasim on 3 February was detained at the Kandla port in Gujarat after an intelligence tip-off.

There authorities discovered a 18 x 4 metre autoclave on inspection. Subsequently top intelligence officials were alerted and a team of DRDO scientists reached the spot. The autoclave can be used both for military and civilian purposes.

As per the scientists the autoclave is used in manufacturing composite lining made out of sheets of silica for solid fuel ballistic missiles.

The DRDO has now dispatched another team of nuclear scientists to examine the autoclave and if the findings of the two teams corroborate the equipment will be seized and ship owners will be charged for violating export regulations.

Indian authorities suspect that the cargo may have been part of a nuclear nexus between Pakistan and China. Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) responsible for the country’s ballistic missile program is also based in Karachi.