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Monday February 13, 11:01 AMJapan Firm Raided in Nuke Investigation
Japanese police raided a precision instrument maker on Monday, a company official said, amid media reports the firm illegally exported machinery to China and Thailand that could be used in uranium enrichment. Investigators raided the headquarters of Mitutoyo Corp. on Monday morning, according to a company official who refused to be named, citing internal regulations. The official said she could not provide further details, but said the company was "cooperating fully." Mitutoyo Corp. is suspected of exporting two three-dimensional measurement machines that can be used for uranium enrichment _ a technology that can produce nuclear fuel or bombs _ to subsidiaries of Japanese firms in China and Thailand in 2001, according to a report carried Sunday by the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest daily. Tokyo police said they could not disclose any information on ongoing investigations. The three-dimensional measurement device, which is generally used to spot deformations on a range of equipment, cannot be exported without government permission because it can also be used in uranium enrichment, according to Mikio Aoki, an official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Aoki said he was not authorized to speak on the allegations against Mitutoyo, but was unaware of any previous cases of illegal export by the company. |
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