South Korean Businessman Detained in Russian Far East for Smuggling Radioactive Devices

www.mosnews.com ^ | 30 Dec 04 | MosNews

[Ginifer]

Russian authorities detained a South Korean businessman in the Far East region of Sakhalin on Wednesday for illegally importing radioactive instruments.

Kim Jong-Hyun, of South Korea’s All Nations Co., was detained after a foreign ship carrying 13 radioactive instruments that included non-enriched Uranium-238 arrived in the port of Korsakov, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The equipment, which was giving off radiation that was measured to be 200 times the normal amount and deadly within a three-meter range, were intended for a foreign company that was building a factory to liquefy natural gas.

The documents accompanying the radioactive equipment were all forged.

[GSlob]

Hmm, to be deadly at 10 feet (3 meters) one would need A LOT of natural uranium, probably in tons range. After all, in uranium mines the miners have tons of it all around them (diluted by inert rock), and if they do not breath the dust and filter the radon away, it takes decades' worth of exposure.
Something must be misreported, and I personally would not trust "Russian authorities" or "mosnews" even with weather forecast.

[Tempest]

$100 says he's not actuaclly from the south.

[samtheman]

Torture him until he divulges all the details of his "trade" and then... keep torturing him to be sure he's told it all... until... whoops... sorry about that...

[Schwaeky]

Yeah, I'm betting that even if he "resides" in the south, he's a long term sleeper spy. That would explain a lot of the state-sanctioned kidnappings by NK of nationals of Japan, South Korea,Russia, Phillippines, Taiwan, USA, etc...

[EEDUDE]

This could actually be legitimate equipment used for what he claims.

Highly radioactive sources ARE used to find tiny cracks in pipelines.

They are very similar to devices used for radiation therapy in cancer patients. And, obviously can be lethal if misused.

On the other hand, fake docs suggest something else.

[Docbarleypop]

non-destructive testing is really cool, but very dangerous. as a radiation health technician for the navy it was the one thing i was really paranoid around. with the weapons and propulsion were all either sealed very well or go boom and no you longer care ;) now the sources used for NDI have caused some serious problems.