Japanese Officials Raid Companies Suspected of Aiding North Korean WMD Programs
The Japanese government has begun a crackdown on businesses exporting possible WMD technology to North Korea. The first raid was of a company suspected of exporting nuclear technology to North Korea:
Investigators raided the headquarters of Mitutoyo Corp. on Monday morning, according to a company official who refused to be named, citing internal regulations. The official said she could not provide further details, but said the company was “cooperating fully” with investigations.
Mitutoyo Corp. is suspected of exporting two three-dimensional measurement machines that can be used for uranium enrichment — a technology that can produce nuclear fuel or bombs — to subsidiaries of Japanese firms in China and Thailand in 2001, according to a report carried Sunday by the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest daily.
The second raid involved raiding companies involved with providing biological weapon technology:
The companies allegedly exported freeze dryers that could be used to cultivate germs or other pathogens for possible weapons, Kyodo News reported, citing police.
The companies are suspected of shipping the equipment to North Korea through Taiwan in September 2002, Kyodo said.
Japanese officials even raided Yamaha over selling remote controlled helicopters:
Late last month, police raided the headquarters of Yamaha Motor Co. on suspicion it illegally exported to China remote-controlled helicopters that could be diverted to military use.
The motorcycle and engine producer was accused of selling restricted materials without receiving approval.
It is interesting that this current crackdown in Japan is coming at about the same time that the US has begun a financial crackdown on North Korean counterfeiting and money laundering operations. I don’t think the combined pressure from the two countries’ crackdowns will be enough to collapse the North Korean regime, but it is in my estimation greatly annoying them by how loud the regime has been condemning the US financial sanctions. Now if only South Korea would do something as well.
