Driven by profit, hatred of U.S., ex-Soviet nuclear smugglers seek Islamist clients

AP ^ | Oct 7, 2015 | Desmond Butler and Vadim Ghirda

[WhiskeyX]

CHISINAU – Over the pulsating beat at an exclusive nightclub, the arms smuggler made his pitch to a client: €2.5 million for enough radioactive cesium to contaminate several city blocks.

It was earlier this year, and the two men were plotting their deal at an unlikely spot: the terrace of Cocos Prive, a dance club and sushi bar in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.

“You can make a dirty bomb, which would be perfect for the Islamic State,” the smuggler said. “If you have a connection with them, the business will go smoothly.”

But the smuggler, Valentin Grossu, was not sure the client was for real — and he was right to worry. The client was an informant, and it took some 20 meetings to persuade Grossu that he was an authentic Islamic State representative. Eventually, the two men exchanged cash for a sample in a sting operation that landed Grossu in jail.

The previously unpublicized case is one of at least four attempts in five years in which criminal networks with suspected Russian ties sought to sell radioactive material to extremists through Moldova, an investigation by The Associated Press has found. One investigation uncovered an attempt to sell bomb-grade uranium to a real buyer from the Middle East, the first known case of its kind.

[fso301]

The ISIS sting dates to 2011 which is before ISIS had a JV team.

[panzerkamphwageneinz]

THERE IS NO ISIS

JUST MUSLIMS

THEY’RE ALL THE PHUKING SAME

[Trumpinator]

Grossu is Romanian.

[dfwgator]

They did say ex-Soviet, and Moldova was part of the Soviet Union.

[Trumpinator]

Last time I read a case like this the Romanians (I think they were Romanians or Ukranians) sold fake nuclear radiation material. It was like harmless stuff that did set off geiger counters but could not be used. They were pretty much trying to scam what they thought was a terrorist buyer who was an undercover police agent.