The vessel gained notoriety after it was caught carrying gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment to Libya in 2003.

BBC China was a cargo ship measured at 5,548 gross tonnage (GT) and 6,500 tons deadweight (DWT).

[1] The cargo ship's keel was laid down at Qingshan Shipyard in Wuhan, China on 28 February 2000.

BBC China was operated by Beluga Shipping GMBH of Bremen, Germany, and flagged in Antigua & Barbuda.

[2] In October 2003 the ship was diverted to Italy while carrying gas centrifuges and nuclear components for uranium enrichment from Scomi Precision Engineering and A. Q. Khan's Khan Research Laboratories via Dubai to Libya.