US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2331

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002331 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, INR, NP/ECC, EUR/ACE, CBP/INA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2014 
TAGS: PINR, ECON, PTER, PARM, AM, KPRP 
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE CESIUM-137 DETAINED 
AND CONFISCATED FROM ARMENIAN NATIONAL 
 
Classified By: CDA A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) On 19 October, the Armenian press reported that an 
Armenian citizen, Gagik Tovmasyan, was arrested on Oct 19 
while transporting Cesium-137.  National Security Service 
officials confirmed this during an Oct 19 meeting. Ashot 
Martirosyan, Head of the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Agency, 
verified that two curies of radioactive cesium-137 were 
seized from Tovmasyan on October 15.  Martirosyan told us 
that the radioactive material was being transported in the 
original specialized container in the trunk of a car and if 
the cesium-137 had leaked it could have posed a serious 
health hazard to anyone who came in contact with it. 
Martirosyan told us the cesium-137 had since been placed in a 
government storage facility and rendered harmless. 
 
2. (C) Martirosyan noted that the Armenian National Security 
Service (NSS) had the lead on the investigation and he had no 
further details on where the material was seized, and why the 
Armenian citizen was in possession of it. 
 
3. (C) An official representative from the NSS told us that 
the seizure of the cesium-137 was the result of a sting 
operation and the investigation was ongoing. 
GODFREY