UAE | Crime
Tough judgement sought for zirconium merchant
The chief prosecutor has described a merchant, being tried for trading in zirconium (a material used to fill nuclear fuel tanks), as a "dangerous suspect" and sought severe judgement against him.
- By Bassam Za'za' Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:06 March 26, 2008
Dubai: The chief prosecutor has described a merchant, being tried for trading in zirconium (a material used to fill nuclear fuel tanks), as a "dangerous suspect" and sought severe judgement against him.
"The 48-year-old Jordanian suspect is educated and is familiar with the importance of zirconium... He has worked in a special team for maintaining military equipment for two years. He traded in zirconium for four years. He is aware that it is used in warplanes. He is dangerous... We ask the court to pass a stringent judgement against him and deport him in order to teach others a lesson," chief prosecutor Younus Al Beloushi said in the Public Prosecution's argument before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanor on Tuesday.
The Public Prosecution charged the suspect, A.A., with violating a treaty which forbids importing equipment, substances or machines used in manufacturing explosives without obtaining proper permission from the concerned authorities.
Al Beloushi said the suspect allegedly used to import and re-export the substance taking advantage of it not being checked at custom exit (transit).
During the hearing, A.A. denied the charges a second time and told the judge that the substance was not used for military reasons. He pleaded not guilty.
Hidden in warehouses
Law enforcement officers earlier foiled A.A.'s attempt to exchange and import about 240 kilograms of zirconium.
One of the law enforcement officers, who arrested the suspect in a sting operation, said in his statement that an informant alerted the concerned authorities that the suspect had zirconium hidden in special warehouses in Jebel Ali and Al Quoz areas.
The officer claimed that A.A. was "secretly" looking for customers of a specific nationality and who might be interested in buying the "forbidden substances".
"Zirconium is used to fill nuclear fuel tanks. Preliminary interrogations revealed that the suspect was using four different mobile phones and he would only sell the material in a public transportation vehicle. The informant posed as a client when he contacted the suspect and claimed to be of that specific nationality. The suspect handed the informant a 25-cm bar of that substance... and the suspect was arrested on November 21 in a sting operation," the officer claimed in his statement to the Public Prosecution.
Esam Eisa Al Humaidan, Dubai's Attorney General, said the National Security Department of Dubai Police foiled the attempt to exchange and export zirconium. The metal was to be imported for agents in the UAE with the purpose of re-exporting it.
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