'Dual-Use' Deception: US Jails Indian Businessman For Illegal Export Of Aviation Gear To Russia

Last Updated:January 17, 2026, 16:37 IST

Sanjay Kaushik from Delhi was sentenced in Portland, Oregon, to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release

Kaushik, the managing partner of the New Delhi-based air charter provider Arezo Aviation, conspired with others to procure the Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) from an Oregon-based supplier under false pretence. (Representational image)

Sanjay Kaushik, a 58-year-old Indian businessman from New Delhi, has been sentenced to 30 months in a United States federal prison for his role in a sophisticated scheme to illegally export controlled aviation technology to Russia. Appearing before a federal court in Portland, Oregon, Kaushik was also handed 36 months of supervised release following his prison term. The sentencing follows a year-long investigation into his efforts to bypass stringent US export controls implemented after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which prohibit the transfer of “dual-use" technologies that have both civilian and military applications.

The core of the illicit operation involved an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), a critical device used for aircraft navigation and flight control. Kaushik, the managing partner of the New Delhi-based air charter provider Arezo Aviation, conspired with others to procure the AHRS from an Oregon-based supplier under false pretences. To obtain the mandatory Department of Commerce export licence, Kaushik and his co-conspirators claimed the equipment was destined for his company in India to be used in civilian helicopters. In reality, the technology was intended for Russian end-users, with India serving merely as a transshipment point to evade detection.

US Attorney for the District of Oregon, Scott E Bradford, described the operation as a “calculated, profit-driven scheme" rather than a simple lapse in judgement. Court documents revealed that the conspiracy began as early as September 2023 and involved repeated transactions and coordination with sanctioned Russian entities. Kaushik was arrested by federal agents in October 2024 upon landing in Miami on a business trip. In October 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, admitting that he had prioritised personal financial gain over US national security and international foreign policy.

The case was prosecuted as part of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency initiative dedicated to enforcing the economic countermeasures and sanctions imposed on Russia. Assistant Attorney General John A Eisenberg emphasised that the successful interception of the AHRS device before it left US soil was a vital victory for national security. The sentencing, observers say, serves as a stern warning to international brokers attempting to leverage neutral territories like India to facilitate the illegal flow of sensitive technology to restricted nations, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to policing its borders against global procurement networks.

News world 'Dual-Use' Deception: US Jails Indian Businessman For Illegal Export Of Aviation Gear To Russia

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