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Japanese Co. suspected of exporting Nuke equipment
02/16/2006 The Asahi Shimbun Manufacturer Mitutoyo Corp. apparently evaded export restrictions by understating the precision of measuring instruments sold overseas that can be used to develop nuclear weapons, police sources said. Whats this dual-use you speak of? The Kawasaki-based company is also suspected of changing the name of the exported equipment from the one used in Japan. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating the company on suspicion it exported two three-dimensional measuring instruments to Thailand and China around 2001 without obtaining the required permission from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law, measuring equipment with a certain level of precision cannot be exported without the approval of the trade ministry. Under the current rules, companies are required to submit a report to the ministry on their export plans for items considered subject to the regulations. Police suspect Mitutoyo understated the precision level of the measuring instruments to get around the rules. The instruments can be used in designing equipment needed for uranium enrichment. That could be how do you say Troublesome. Mitutoyo officials have denied exporting products with such a high level of precision, Lies I tells ya all lies! but MPD investigators tested the instruments that surfaced in Thailand and China and concluded that they should have been subject to the export controls, the sources said. The instruments exported were called BLN, although they were identical to the machinery under a different name in the Japanese market. The MPD suspects the company started lying about the technology of the instruments and changed the name of the products in the early 1990s, Sort of like Liberal to Progressive same thing just a cooler sounding name. when controls around the world tightened for exports that could be used for military purposes. Around that time, suspicions were heightening that Iraq and North Korea were developing nuclear weapons. The international community stepped up efforts to regulate exports of certain products to those two countries, as well as Libya and Iran. You remember that whole Axis of Evil Hub-Bub. MPD investigators suspect Mitutoyo was concerned that the stricter rules would severely hurt its business operations, which depended heavily on exports. Nuclear Holocaust is a bad thing but were talkin Bottom-line here folks. Mitutoyo, in fact, tried to export three-dimensional measurement equipment to Iran via a trading house in Tokyo in 1993. But the trade ministry refused to give a permit because of the machinery's advanced technology. Got the paperwork all filled out and everything Lets see here...Shipping to Kahn something er other Not sure what his first name is but his initials are A.Q. Police want to determine if Mitutoyo knew its actions violated export regulations and whether company officials understood the overseas sales route of the precision instruments. Well there was that thing about a dozen years ago but we figured things were more relaxed now. Mitutoyo is known to have exported six precision measuring devices to a dubious Malaysian company. Name one that isnt. Three of six instruments were found two years ago in Libya by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Police suspect the instruments were sold in the black market for equipment and materials used in nuclear weapons development. And now for the comforting part. The whereabouts of the three other instruments remain unknown. (IHT/Asahi: February 16,2006) Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-02-16 |
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