CONTAINER INSPECTION IN MUMBAI INDIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 008185 SIPDIS FOR DEPT FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, FOREIGN OPERATIONS DIVISION FOR DEPT OF CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, CSI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC KNNP PARM ENRG IN SUBJECT: CONTAINER INSPECTION IN MUMBAI INDIA On October 7, 2005, while Department of Energy (DOE) installation engineers were analyzing archived system performance data from a newly installed DOE Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) located at the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, it was discovered that a neutron radiation event was recorded when a container exited the Sri Lankan port two days earlier. On October 13, 2005, container security initiative (CSI) personnel identified a group of containers that passed through the gate near the time of the alarm. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS),in conjunction with the DOE and others, narrowed the focus of the search to a conservative range of seventeen (17) possible containers. One of the containers departed the port in Sri Lanka to the JNPT port in Mumbai, India. DHS personnel at Headquarters requested the ICE Attach, New Delhi, India to travel to Mumbai to coordinate with Indian Customs and other relevant Government of India Officials to ascertain if the neutron radiation event was caused by that container. The results are listed below as reported to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Headquarters by the ICE Attach, New Delhi, India. REPORT #1 - MUMBAI, INDIA - CONTAINER INSPECTION On October 17, 2005, ICE Attach James L. Dozier met with Mr. Najib Shah, Commissioner of Customs, Imports, Jawaharlal Nehru (JNPT) Customs House, Nhava-Sheva, Mumbai, India and various members of his staff on the inspection of container number CLHU2864014. Also, Indian officials from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board in a later meeting were apprised of the circumstances regarding the suspected container ¶1. ICE Attach Dozier explained that the radiation alert on the container in Colombo, Sri Lanka currently located in Mumbai, India was allegedly caused by neutron radiation from the container as registered by the equipment installed by mega-port (Department of Energy) personnel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. ¶2. The detection equipment ascertained that the source emitting the neutron radiation is believed to be located in the center of the container. ¶3. The ICE Attach communicated to Indian Customs and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board officials that U.S. experts recommend the following approach to evaluating the container: a. Specific neutron detection equipment is required for use on the container b. If a neutron reading is detected from the general perusal of the outside of the container with the applicable equipment, it is imperative that Indian officials not open the container, but rather place the container in isolation and assemble personnel with the expertise to determine the next step. c. X-ray the container to identify the source of the neutron reading. ¶4. Personnel from Indian Customs and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board conducted inspection procedures on the container consisting of the following: a. They perused the outside of the container with equipment utilized to identify gamma rays. The reason provided by the subject matter expert is that neutron radiation cannot exist without gamma rays. The results of the check on gamma radiation concluded in negative/minor readings. Indian Customs will provide the reading results to the ICE Attach on October 18, 2005. Indian Customs requested officials with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to conduct a check for neutron radiation with the applicable equipment on October 18, 2005. The officials agreed to the request and the check will be conducted on October 18, 2005. As per their customary guidelines the officials from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board would not allow the ICE attach to observe them inspecting the container(s) utilizing the gamma or neutron radiation equipment. b. The container was checked by an X-ray machine (NII equipment - 400 capacity, Rapiscan equipment) in the early PM of October 17, 2005. The examinations and/or scanning conducted on the container were negative regarding any source/item other than scrap metal. The assessment by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board personnel at this point is there is no cause for alarm concerning neutron radiation pertaining to the container. c. Indian Customs told ICE attach that the importer of the stainless steel scrape metal shipment is SKM Steel Limited, Nagpur, India. The merchandise was destined for Nagpur, India. The company has a history of importing scrap metal shipments from South Africa, Malaysia, and Japan. Indian Customs is unable at this time to ascertain the country of origin of the shipment. The information they have is that the shipment was transshipped via Colombo, Sri Lanka, but the country of origin is not listed on the documents. d. Indian Customs also determined that another shipment/container of stainless steel scrap metal was shipped to Mumbai from Colombo, Sri Lanka on the same vessel and by the same importer (SKM Steel Limited) of the suspected container. The other shipment was transported to Mumbai from Colombo via container number CRXU1090624. REPORT #2 - MUMBAI, INDIA - CONTAINER INSPECTION On October 18, 2005, officials from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Government of India (GOI),conducted a check for neutron radiation on container numbers CLHU2864014 and CRXU1090624. The equipment utilized was a Neutron REM Counter with a sensitivity level of 2.5 REM per hour and a distance of one meter. The checks conducted by the aforementioned officials were negative. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board personnel concluded that a source or neutron radiation for container numbers CLHU2864014 and CRXU1090624 were negative and advised Indian Customs that it was safe to empty the contents of the containers. Indian Customs personnel removed the contents (stainless steel scrape metal) of the containers for inspection purposes. Personnel with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board again checked the merchandise inside the containers with negative results. The ICE Attach viewed the stainless steel scrape metal during the latter stage of removal from the containers. Indian Customs conducted a check on SKM Steel Limited, Nagpur, India. SKM Steel Limited is the company that imported the stainless steel scrap metal into the country. Subsequent checks for the past six months revealed that SKM imported fifteen (15) shipments of stainless steel scrape metal into India from Mexico, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, Spain, Bangladesh, and Australia. They are an established company in India. The country of origin for the merchandise in container numbers CLHU2864014 and CRXU1090624 is Bangladesh (city of Chittagong). The bill of lading number for the merchandise is SCLDXBCGPNPR117. The ICE Attach was able to take pictures of the containers and the stainless steel metal scrap removed from the containers. The pictures will be forwarded via email attachment to Todd Horton and Mark J. Henry, Container Security Initiative, Washington D.C. Mulford