Iran tried to import uranium for its nuclear programme from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the shipment was intercepted in Tanzania, The Sunday Times reported, citing a senior Tanzanian customs officer.
A huge shipment of uranium 238 bound for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas was intercepted on October 22, 2005, by customs officials in Tanzania making a routine check, the officer told the newspaper.
The British weekly also cited a United Nations report, due to be considered by the Security Council, which said there was “no doubt” that a large shipment of uranium 238 was transported from the Lubumbashi mines in the DR Congo.
The customs official said the uranium shipment was found hidden in a consignment of coltan, a rare mineral, which was destined for smelting in Kazakhstan after being transported through Bandar Abbas.
“There were several containers due to be shipped and they were all routinely scanned with a Geiger counter,” he said.
“This one was very radioactive. When we opened the container it was full of drums of coltan. Each drum contains about 50 kilogrammes (xx pounds) of ore. When the first and second rows were removed the ones after that were found to be drums of uranium,” he said.
“The container was put in a secure part of the port and it was later taken away, by the Americans, I think, or at least with their help. We have all been told not to talk to anyone about this.”
The Sunday Times also quoted a source with access to security service assessments as saying that there was “great concern” about Iranian sleeper cells in Britain conducting reconnaissance at nuclear power plants in preparation for a possible attack.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Sunday his country would not suspend uranium enrichment, in a clear rejection of a UN resolution calling for a freeze of the sensitive nuclear work.
Iran insists it wants to enrich uranium only to make reactor fuel for power stations but the United States and other countries suspect Teheran wants the capacity to make weapons-grade uranium.
The UN resolution requires Iran to halt uranium enrichment and other sensitive nuclear fuel work by August 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.
Wikileaks:
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001593 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/E FOR BYODER, AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK ALSO VCI FOR HHEINTZELMAN AND KWALKIN EO 12958 DECL: 09/27/2016 TAGS PTER, PINR, IAEA, PGOV, CG,
TZ SUBJECT: URANIUM IN DAR COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO SHIPPING COMPANIES, PER SWISS DIPLOMAT REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 01376 B. UNVIE VIENNA 00601 C. KINSHASA 01309 Classified By: Charge d’Affaires D. Purnell Delly for reasons 1.4(b),(d) and (e). ¶
1. (C) According to a senior Swiss diplomat, the shipment of uranium through Dar es Salaam is common knowledge to two Swiss shipping companies. Hans Peter Schoni, Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania, referred to the allegations of uranium from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) passing through Zambia and Tanzania en route to Iran, but did not attribute to the shipping companies any opinion of the source or destination of the alleged uranium. Poloff pointed out that the reports were unsubstantiated, but Schoni repeated that transport of uranium is common knowledge to the two companies, though no one at either company would admit it in writing. XXXXXXXXXXXX are both based in Geneva and conduct verification and inspection work in Tanzania.
¶2. (C) Mission has shared this information with all relevant agencies at post which were unable to substantiate this or any other such reports of uranium shipments. Nevertheless, given the potential significance of such allegations we believe it is important to report nonetheless. DELLY
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