At DSEI 2025 a company was yet again found to be displaying banned weapons on their stand.
Indian company Sandeep Metalcraft PVT LTD was displaying a fuze designed for cluster munitions on its stand. Despite the organisers acknowledging that the fuze was a cluster munition component, it was simply removed from display, but the stand was not closed. The organisers Clarion have reported that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Department of Business and Trade Export Control Joint Unit (DBT-ECJU) have stated there was no breach of the UK’s export control laws.
However, under the 2008 Export Control Order companies are banned from promoting or displaying cluster munitions, landmines, or certain security or paramilitary equipment at UK arms and security fairs. As displaying a cluster munition component is a direct breach of the 2008 Export Control Order, Omega does not understand how the Government can claim no that no breach has occured.
Companies promoting banned equipment at DSEI is an on-going problem. Over the past twenty years researchers have repeatedly highlighted breaches of UK law but companies continue to promote prohibited weapons.
Omega is calling for the UK Government to properly enforce its own export control laws, and for the organisers to do more to implement their own compliance policies to ensure that prohibited weapons are never promoted at DSEI. Any company found to be promoting banned equipment at a UK arms fair should immediately be ejected from the fair, the goods seized as evidence, the company prosecuted for breaking the law, and then refused entry to all future UK arms and security fairs.
Companies and prohibited items discovered at DSEI exhibitions 2005 – 2025
| Fair | Company | Information |
| DSEI 2025 | EDI – USA (Execdefense USA), USA | Transport leg cuff and hand-leg cuff connection restraint system (leg-cuffs / handcuff and chains) had already been cut out of the company brochure displayed on stand, but the company was not ejected. |
| DSEI 2025 | Sandeep Metalcraft PVT LTD, India | Direct Action Self Destruct (DASD) fuze, designed for use with DPCIM Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition cluster munitions displayed on the stand. Fuze removed by the fair organisers after being alerted by the Green Party, however the comapny was not ejected and HMRC & DBT-ECJU have claimed there was no breech. |
| DSEI 2023 | Yantra India Ltd, India | Landmines promoted in the company brochure distributed on the stand. Information only discovered after the fair, so no action taken. |
| DSEI 2019 | Condor Non-Lethal Technologies, Brazil | Company brochures contained an image and text for the Spark ‘electronic control device’ weapon – an electric shock projectile weapon and stun gun. Breach of exhibition compliance guide, and unlawful under UK law to promote electric shock weapons. Company ejected from the fair after 4 days of promoting the weapon. |
| DSEI 2013 | Tianjin Myway International Trading Co Ltd, China | Company literature promoted torture equipment (leg cuffs and electric shock batons). Company ejected from the fair by organisers |
| DSEI 2013 | Magforce International, France | Company literature promoted torture equipment (leg cuffs and electric shock batons). Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |
| DSEI 2011 | POF Pakistan Ordnance Factory, Pakistan | Company literature contained information on the 155mm Base Bleed DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) – a cluster munition. Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |
| DSEI 2011 | Nammo Talley (Nammo Group), Norway | Company literature contained information on / promotion of cluster munitions. The company was contacted after the fair – the product sheet was subsequently amended. |
| DSEI 2011 | Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO), Pakistan | Company literature contained information on 155mm M483A1 artillery ammunition containing 88 submunitons, and the ‘Programmable SubMunition Dispenser – 1’. Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |
| DSEI 2011 | Beechwood International, UK | Brochure found promoting oversized leg cuffs, waist chains, lead chains and “the enhanced transport restraint system” (which combines waist chains and cuffs with leg cuffs) on behalf of US company CTS-Thompson. Company ejected from the fair by orgnaisers. |
| DSEI 2011 | International Custom Products ICP, Canada | Company literature contained information on components for cluster munitions (Ram Air Decelerators). Raised by Amnesty International with the exhibition organisers and company, but company not ejected. |
| DSEI 2009 | POF Pakistan Ordnance Factory, Pakistan | Company literature contained information on the 155mm Base Bleed DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) which is a cluster munition. Raised by Amnesty International with the exhibition organisers. |
| DSEI 2007 | BCB International (Cardiff), UK | Company found to be promoting leg cuffs and Taser projectile electric shock gun. Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |
| DSEI 2007 | Famous Glory Holdings, China | Company found to be promoting leg cuffs Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |
| DSEI 2005 | Denel, South Africa | Discussed selling of 155 millimetre artillery shell containing 42 bomblets. Company not ejected from the fair. |
| DSEI 2005 | Tar Ideal, Israel | Company literature promoted stun guns, stun batons and leg-irons. Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |
| DSEI 2005 | Global Armour, South Africa | Company literature promoted stun guns, stun batons. Company ejected from the fair by organisers. |