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