Indian national charged with illegal aviation tech exports to Russia via India
An Indian businessman has been indicted for allegedly conspiring to export controlled dual-use aviation components to Russia through India in violation of US export controls, the Justice Department announced 22 November.
Sanjay Kaushik, 57, was arrested in Miami on 17 October and charged with attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia and making false statements about the exports. The indictment was filed 20 November in the District of Oregon.
‘Beginning as early as March 2023, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kaushik conspired with others to unlawfully obtain aerospace goods and technology from the United States for entities in Russia,’ prosecutors alleged. The goods were allegedly purchased under false pretenses, claiming his Indian company was the end user.
According to court documents, Kaushik and co-conspirators attempted to purchase an Attitude Heading Reference System (‘AHRS’), which provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon supplier. They falsely claimed the component would be used in a civilian helicopter in India, though it was intended for a Russian customer.
The case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, which enforces Russia-related sanctions and export controls. If convicted, Kaushik faces up to 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines per count.
