Nuclear 'black market' probed

2004-09-06 22:19

Johannesburg - Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are in South Africa helping local authorities with an investigation into an international nuclear component trafficking network, said a spokesperson on Monday.

This follows the arrest and court appearance last week of Vanderbijlpark engineering firm director Johan Meyer on charges under the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act and the Nuclear Energy Act.

IAEA public information person Peter Rickwood, speaking from Vienna, would not directly link the inspectors' visit to Meyer's arrest.

"This is part of the broader investigation into the illicit trafficking network - the nuclear supply network."

He said the investigation was the result of a probe into the importing through third parties of uranium enrichment equipment.

Don't want to tip off suspects

Rickwood said the inspectors were in South Africa to "offer technical expertise" as they had deep knowledge about nuclear technology, but the media would "not have access" to them.

"We can't say too much because we don't want to tip off suspects."

An employee at Meyer's company said: "I am not allowed to comment, I am not allowed to speak to the media," and his lawyer, Heinrich Badenhorst, said he did not have a list of items seized when his client was arrested.

Beeld newspaper said an uranium enrichment plant was transported from a factory in Vanderbijlpark in 11 trucks to Pelindaba at the weekend.

They were accompanied by an IAEA inspector.

Pelindaba is the base of Necsa, a company which promotes research and development in the field of nuclear energy and radiation sciences.

A Necsa spokesperson said she had been instructed to refer all queries to the department of foreign affairs.

Last week, the department issued a statement on Meyer's arrest on behalf of the SA Council for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Two other people arrested

Abdul Minty, chairperson the council, said he would not answer any further questions until "the next few days".

Information was sketchy on two other people with South African connections reportedly arrested by international authorities.

Asher Karni, formerly employed by a Cape Town engineering company, was arrested in Denver in the United States in January and released on $100 000 (about R660 000) bail into the custody of a rabbi.

A South Africa-based man called Gerhard Wisser was reportedly taken in for questioning in Germany.

- SAPA