PURPORTED SALE OFFER OF URANIUM-235
Date:1973 September 26, 10:43 (Wednesday) Canonical ID:1973KATHMA04122_b
Original Classification:SECRET Current Classification:UNCLASSIFIED
Handling Restrictions:LIMDIS Character Count:2249
Executive Order:GS CARGO Locator:TEXT ONLINE
TAGS:IN - India | NP - Nepal | TECH - Technology and Science--Technology | THAKUR, J C | US - United States Concepts:CRIMES | NUCLEAR FUELS | SMUGGLING | THEFTS | URANIUM 235
Enclosure:-- N/A or Blank -- Type:TE
Office Origin:-- N/A or Blank --
Office Action:ACTION NEA Archive Status:Electronic Telegrams
From:Nepal Kathmandu Markings:Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005
To:Department of State | India New Delhi
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1. SENIOR OFFICER OF EMBESY WAS RECENTLY APPROACHED BY NEPALESE
BUSINESSMAN, NAME GIVEN AS J.C. THAKUR, WHO SAID HE COULD OBTAIN
URANIUM-235 "FOR SALE TO U.S. GOVERNMENT." WHILE EMBASSY HAS
HAD SOME VAGUE INDICATIONS IN PAST OF SOME FORM OF URANIUM
BEING OFFERED FOR SALE IN NEPAL, THIS IS FIRST APPROACH WE
HAVE EXPERIENCED FROM INDIVIDUAL WHO GIVES SOME APPEARANCE OF
HAVING ACCESS TO SOME KIND OF FISSIONABLE MATERIAL. WE FRANKLY
DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY BACKGOUND
DELHI AND WASHINGTON MIGHT THINK RELEVANT AS WELL AS WASHINGTON
GUIDANCE ON PROCEDURE WE SHOULD FOLLOW IN THIS MATTER. WE
HAVE NO LOCAL INFORMATION ON J.C. THAKUR.
2. THAKUR PRESENTS HIMSELF AS BROTHER OF NEPAL'S AMBASSADOR
TO JAPAN, CLAIMS HE CAN DELIVER TWO TO THREE KILOS OF URANIUM-
235 PER MONTH AT PRICE OF $40,000 PER KILO. WHEN QUESTIONED
AS TO SOURCE, HE INDICATED THAT U-235 WOULD BE SMUGGLED OUT
TO HIM FROM NUCLEAR POWER FACILITIES IN BOMBAY AREA. HE SAYS
HE IS WILLING AND ABLE PROVIDE SAMPLE FOR ANALYSIS AND HAS
BRIEFLY SHOWN EMBASSY OFFICER SMALL AMOUNT OF BROWN SUBSTANCE,
SECRET
SECRET
PAGE 02 KATHMA 04122 261141Z
WHICH HE CLAIMS IS U-235, AND WHICH HE CARRIES IN SMALL
PLASTIC VIAL. THAKUR SAYS IF USG "NOT INTERESTED," HE WILL
OFFER URANIUM TO OTHER EMBASSIES IN KATHMANDU, MENTIONING
GERMAN, CHINESE, AND JAPANESE EMBASSIES.
3. THAKUR MAY BE IN TOUCH WITH EMBASSY OFFICER AGAIN IN NEXT
FEW DAYS. WE WOULD THEREFORE APPRECIATE GUIDANCE FROM WASHINGTON
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING WHETHER WE SHOULD ATTEMPT
DEVELOP ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PURPORTED SOURCE OF THIS
MATERIAL, AND WHETHER WE SHOULD SEEK SECURE SAMPLE. IF SAMPLE
DESIRED. PLEASE INSTRUCT ON TOXICITY CONSIDERATIONS, IF ANY,
AND PROPER WRAPPING PROCEDURES.
CARGO
SECRET
References to this document in other cables References in this document to other cables
1973NEWDE11370
1973BOMBAY01917
1973STATE197501
1973KATHMA04255
An offer to sell stolen Indian U-235 sent US into tizzyPress Trust of India : New Delhi, Fri Apr 12 2013, 17:44 hrs
An offer to sell uranium pilfered from India's nuclear facilities by a businessman claiming to be a relative of a Nepalese diplomat set off a flurry of mails between US missions in late 1973.
A series of discussions among US diplomats, consultations with Indian nuclear establishment and tests on samples provided by the Nepalese person, however, revealed that the offer was a hoax.
The Kissinger cables, released by WikiLeaks, gave a glimpse into the hectic exchange of cables and involving India as the purported fissile material was claimed to have smuggled out from nuclear facilities in "Bombay area".
It all started with a cable from the US Embassy in Kathmandu on September 26, 1973 informing officials in the State Department about a Nepalese businessman J C Thakur contacting them and offering to sell upto three kgs of uranium per month at the rate of USD 40,000 per kilo.
"He indicated that U-235 would be smuggled out to him from nuclear power facilities in Bombay area," the cable said, adding that Thakur had also offered to provide sample for analysis.
Thakur, who claimed to be a brother of Nepal's Ambassador to Japan, also told his contact in the US Embassy that he would offer uranium to other embassies in Kathmandu, including that of Germany, China and Japan if the US government was not interested in buying it.
Another cable from New Delhi to the State Department sought guidance on bringing the matter to the attention of the Indian government contending that the action could be a "confidence game".
"We believe that leveling with the GoI on this case would contribute to the atmosphere of trust and confidence in which we would like to deal with the Indians on peaceful uses of nuclear energy," it said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wikileaks-cables-an-offer-to-sell-stolen-indian-u235-sent-us-into-tizzy/1101508/