ARMENIA: RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE CESIUM-137 DETAINED

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002331 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, INR, NP/ECC, EUR/ACE, CBP/INA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2014 TAGS: PINR ECON PTER PARM AM KPRP SUBJECT: ARMENIA: RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE CESIUM-137 DETAINED AND CONFISCATED FROM ARMENIAN NATIONAL Classified By: CDA A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On 19 October, the Armenian press reported that an Armenian citizen, Gagik Tovmasyan, was arrested on Oct 19 while transporting Cesium-137. National Security Service officials confirmed this during an Oct 19 meeting. Ashot Martirosyan, Head of the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Agency, verified that two curies of radioactive cesium-137 were seized from Tovmasyan on October 15. Martirosyan told us that the radioactive material was being transported in the original specialized container in the trunk of a car and if the cesium-137 had leaked it could have posed a serious health hazard to anyone who came in contact with it. Martirosyan told us the cesium-137 had since been placed in a government storage facility and rendered harmless. ¶2. (C) Martirosyan noted that the Armenian National Security Service (NSS) had the lead on the investigation and he had no further details on where the material was seized, and why the Armenian citizen was in possession of it. ¶3. (C) An official representative from the NSS told us that the seizure of the cesium-137 was the result of a sting operation and the investigation was ongoing. GODFREY