Taiwan emerges as transit hub for illegal nuclear equipment

On Aug. 2, 20 customs officials from Taiwan's southern port of Kaohsiung were charged with taking bribes in return for facilitating the inspection of what documents stated were second-hand auto and machinery parts but were in fact components needed to operate nuclear reactors.

These components are banned by the Taiwan government from export to Iran and North Korea -- countries subject to U.N. sanctions on such equipment thought to be used in developing nuclear weapons.

It was not the first such violation, nor will it be the last as Taiwan battles both internal corruption in the customs service and a growing diversity of smuggling networks that have targeted the country as a convenient transit point for high-tech materials and technologies restricted by international sanctions.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
.