Customs haul linked to Pakistan nuclear arms

Customs officers were last night investigating whether materials seized on the Kent coast were destined for Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, following the arrest of three men last week.

The men, all from the London area, were arrested and bailed after customs officers intercepted 20 tonnes of high grade aluminium, one of the key components for nuclear weapons.

The shipment had been tracked from the US, where it had been gathered from various sources, and was on route to the Middle East when it was impounded at Thamesport, on the Isle of Grain.

Although documentation showed it was destined for Dubai, in the Persian gulf, intelligence sources believe its final destination was the Punjabi port of Lahore.

The shipment was made during a time of heightening tensions between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir, which experts believe is the most likely area in the world for a nuclear conflict.

Both India and Pakistan recently celebrated the first anniversary of their nuclear weapons tests, which further added to the tension in the region and raised suspicions over the use of the cargo.

Items for military use require an export licence.

High grade aluminium of the type which was intercepted is on a government "trigger list" aimed at stopping the proliferation of nuclear armaments.

The aluminium's high tensile strength is needed for making missile casings, and for building equipment to enrich uranium for nuclear warheads.

The investigation into the shipment's final destination and use is likely to take months. A spokesman for the customs' national investigation service said: "We cannot comment on cases whilst they are active."

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