US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN131

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000131 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, INR, NP/EDD, EUR/ACE, CBP/INA, NP/PTR, 
EUR/RUS, EUR/RPM, DS, IO/T, INR/SPM, S/CT, S/P, S/S-O 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2015 
TAGS: PINR, MNUC, PARM, KCRM, PTER, ASEC, AM, KPRP 
SUBJECT: CESIUM 137 CONFISCATED ON THE TURKISH BORDER 
 
REF: 04 YEREVAN 2450 
 
Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) At a January 23 meeting, Ashot Martirosyan, head of 
the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (ANRA) told us that on 
16 December, a source of Cesium 137 was seized by Turkish 
Authorities at the Turkish-Georgian border.  Martirosyan 
stated that he received a fax from the Turkish Atomic Energy 
Authority (TAEA) which claimed that the Cesium-137 was seized 
from a collection of scrap metal at the Turkish Sarp Customs 
Border Gate.  The truck that  transported the scrap metal had 
reportedly originated in Armenia, passed through Georgia and 
then arrived at the Turkish border. The TAEA stated in the 
fax that the weight of the device was about 40 kg and the 
dose rate measured at the surface of the devise was 60 Sv/h. 
The truck that carried the Cesium 137 had ID number 08 K 
5141/5140. 
 
2. (C)  The scrap metal allegedly came from the Yerevan-based 
chemical factory Polivinilatsetat.  Martirosyan told us that 
he sent investigators to that plant and found no evidence of 
any Cesium 137.  Martirosyan stated that a colleague from 
Georgia had examined the seized Cesium 137 and due to the age 
and bad condition of the container, was unable to recognize 
any registration marks.  Martirosyan could not discount the 
possibility that the Cesium 137 was placed in the scrap metal 
in Georgia or in Turkey before it reached the customs border 
gate.  Martirosyan would not speculate as to why the Georgian 
and Armenian border services were not able to detect the 
Cesium 137 if the Cesium 137 did in fact originate in 
Armenia. 
 
3. (C) Martirosyan told us that ANRA's cooperation with the 
TAEA is complicated due to the lack of diplomatic relations 
between Turkey and Armenia.  Martirosyan told us that the 
Armenian National Security Service (NSS) had the lead in this 
investigation. 
 
4. (C)  Per reftel Martirosyan had no new information 
concerning the Cesium 137 which was seized from Armenian 
citizen Gagik Tovmasian in October 2004 in Armenia. 
Martirosyan stated that the NSS was still investigating that 
case and had not shared any new information with ANRA. 
EVANS