3 held for alleged attempt to export measuring instrument to Myanmar

Tuesday 30th June, 05:10 AM JST

YOKOHAMA —

Police arrested three people Monday on suspicion of attempting to export a measuring instrument that could be converted to weapons production to Myanmar without a permit from the Japanese government, police officials said. The suspects, including the 41-year-old president of trading house Toko Boeki in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward and the president of a machinery maker, allegedly attempted to export in January a magnetic measuring instrument, which could be converted to produce missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, from Yokohama port in Kanagawa Prefecture to Myanmar via Malaysia, they said.

The attempted export was discovered before it took place, the Kanagawa police officials said. The Kanagawa police raided locations related to the case in February suspecting that North Korea, which maintains diplomatic relations with Myanmar, could be involved in the deal.

Kyodo

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

nandakandamanda at 12:07 PM JST - 30th June

On today's TV news they mention the police found a letter from NK during their search of the company ordering the company to export the measuring instrument system to Myanmar/Burma; they suspect it is part of an overall missile system sale to the Junta regime.
buggerlugs at 12:14 PM JST - 30th June

I resent that I didn't thunk out my comment, took me all of 5 seconds!! That be alot of thinking time. So. Again with the updated news, why was a nk who japan supposedly doesn't trade this type of equipment with allowed a license to trade in it whilst in japan?
notimpressed at 12:31 PM JST - 30th June

Unagidon: WHo do you think you are? Are you actually that arrogant?

I couldn't care less about any of the useless information you just provided. The fact that it happens anywhere does not make it any better.

Comparisons aside, a Japanese company president did this, and then the authorities are investigating North Korea? I just found it amuzing, if a broken record can be amuzing. As for you, You can come on here and give your opinions, provide information, have discussion, but you don't get free pass to insult ther posters, or to try throwing the word 'teaching English' around like its an insult, when you don't know any of our professions, real names,or how severely we might beat you if we knew yours after such a cheap shot.

But at a wild guess, I have you pegged as a proffesional C**K smoker.
notimpressed at 12:38 PM JST - 30th June

oh one more point, whether the Company pres' is Korean or Japanese is irrelevant, becasue this stuff is only available in a few places. If it can be used in WMD tech then it shouldnt be here, or at the very least, an export company should never be able to get hold of it at all. Export a car and a few scooters to india instead or something. Export a kick in the teeth to unagidork to while your at it. If there is anything I hate, it is conceited and patronising twerps. MODs: if you remove my posts, be sure to remove unagiboys posts too.
PepinGalarga at 12:40 PM JST - 30th June

Just because people in Japan have Japanese names, it means that they are Japanese. Remember any naturalized citizens need to be assigned a Japanese name. What Fishy was saying could very well be happening.
notimpressed at 12:41 PM JST - 30th June

heh, and yeah, the English in that rant was pretty pathetic. Yor embaresment yorsewf unagikun. LOL
m0l0 at 01:04 PM JST - 30th June

the part in question was something that could be used as part of an inertial guidance system for missiles.
mareo2 at 02:22 PM JST - 30th June

The non-profit American Type Culture Collection and the Centers for Disease Control sold or sent biological samples to Iraq under Saddam Hussein up until 1989, which Iraq claimed it needed for medical research. These materials included anthrax, West Nile virus and botulism, as well as Brucella melitensis, which damages major organs, and clostridium perfringens, which causes gas gangrene. Some of these materials were used for Iraq's biological weapons research program, while others were used for vaccine development.

"who is free of sin that throw the first rock"
fishy at 02:29 PM JST - 30th June
fishy at 02:37 PM JST - 30th June

notimpressed: why is it irrelevant whether the company president is korean or japanese ? it is scary to think there are many N.koreans who have japanese names being directly connected to N.K.

and your saying export companies should never be able to get a hold of those things that CAN BE used to WMD is outrageous.. most of those things are used for other things in japan... this time, it was a magnetic measuring device and last month, a company owned by a N.Korean resident of japan, tried to export 2 Nissan and Hino tankers that are simply used as cargo in japan... companies should never be able to have these things ?? i don't think so..
stirfry at 04:11 PM JST - 30th June

FREE BURMA !
notimpressed at 04:51 PM JST - 30th June

actually humans should be banned from making bombs and bullets but hey what do I know.
UnagiDon at 08:57 PM JST - 30th June

Fatfrenchfool;

would you like to enrol? I can help you

Fair enough - I'll need to proofread better next time.

You might want to make that offer to notimpressed as he/she seems to need it more than I do.
marchhare at 04:41 AM JST - 1st July

Myanmar government always "deny" that they are pursuing technology to produce nuclear missiles with the help of North Koreans . Well, this is only one of the several evidences that they are on their way to produce WMD.
pps123456 at 08:37 PM JST - 2nd July

i think there are two companies who is good relationship with Myanmar ministry of Industry No 2 General Soe Thein. General Soe Thein is incharge of Nuclear Projects in Myanmar. These two companies are Family United Power company and Myanmar Nay Yaung Chi Company. The name of the boss is Thein Zaw Lin.
They bought about about 3 millions USD of spare parts from Japan and chinafrom 2008 . They now buying about 10 millions USD price of spare parts from japan. They r preparing. Japanese government should consider these business to enter Japan. One of their director is Soe Min Thant and he have Japanese Multiple Visa