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Malaysia: Equipment Headed to Iran Suspected to Make Nuclear Weapons

By Associated Press, Friday, March 18, 4:22 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian police said Friday that they had found equipment they suspect could be used to make nuclear weapons smuggled on board a ship headed to Iran.

National police chief Ismail Omar told The Associated Press that the cargo was seized from a Malaysian-registered ship traveling from China to Tehran while it was docked at a central Malaysia harbor. Authorities are investigating whether the equipment could be used to make nuclear weapons.

Malaysian International Shipping Corp. confirmed in a statement to the AP that police confiscated two containers from the MV Bunga Raya Satu on March 8. It said a freight forwarder had declared the contents as “goods used for liquid mixing or storage for pharmaceutical or chemical or food industry.”

Police said they had received a tip that the items were being shipped illegally and did not have a special permit required under Malaysia’s anti-trafficking law.

Malaysia passed that law last year to curb the trafficking of nuclear weapon components after being linked to the illegal supply of sensitive technology to countries including Iran and Libya.

The Malaysian shipping company said the vessel continued its journey without the seized items March 9.
 
The case is still under investigation, the police are suspecting but they are NOT sure whether the mixing machine can be used for making nuclear fuel or not. The Vedict is not out yet.

Read the original complete news as below

Friday March 18, 2011
N-fuel making devices seized
By A. RUBAN and LOURDES CHARLES
newsdesk@thestar.com.my


KUALA LUMPUR: The Shanghai source, who shipped five agitating machines, (chemical mixing machines) which can be used to make nuclear fuel, will be quizzed by police.

The machines were seized from a Malaysian registered ship in Port Klang on March 10.

Criminal Investigations Department director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said they would also contact the “destination source” in Teheran, Iran to assist in the investigation.

“The machines have been classified as strategic items that require a permit for transshipment, export or in transit under the Strategic Trade Act 2010.

“The machines were found inside two containers shortly after they arrived at Port Klang here from Shanghai enroute to Teheran on March 10,” he said.

Comm Mohd Bakri said initial investigations revealed that these machines could be used to make explosives including nuclear fuel.

He said police had listed the help of experts from the Atomic Energy Licensing Board and International Trade and Industry Ministry to assist in the investigation.

He dismissed a news report which said that nuclear warheads and several other parts used to make weapons of mass destruction were found on the ship.

He said as far as the police were concerned, they found only the agitating machines and would be questioning both the source and destination countries.He also said that the crew members on the ship that was carrying fruits and other edible stuff were released after being questioned.

In Klang, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said police were unsure if the seized parts could be used to make weapons of mass destruction.
“We are still assessing the equipment found in the containers,” he told reporters after receiving a grant aid worth RM10mil from the Japanese government at the marine police base yesterday.

At the Parliament lobby, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein confirmed that the two containers were held by authorities, JOSHUA FOONG reports.

He also stressed that authorities would need “weeks or months” to verify the nature of the seized machines.
 

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