Inside ICE: Volume 2, Issue 17

South African Gets Three Years for Illegally Exporting Nuke Tech

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge has sentenced a South African man to three years in prison for his role in exporting technology with nuclear weapons applications to Pakistan and India.

Asher Karni, 51, pleaded guilty in September 2004 to unlawfully exporting from the United States triggered spark gaps, which can be used to detonate nuclear warheads, and oscilloscopes, which have applications in the testing and development of nuclear weapons, . The guilty plea and sentencing of Karni followed a joint investigation by the Department of Commerce and ICE agents.

“The proliferation of nuclear components is not only a homeland security threat, but a global threat,” said Assistant Secretary Michael Garcia. “This case in particular raised serious concerns. The technology involved, the destination of these goods, and the clear efforts to disguise the trail of the shipments raised the stakes even higher.”

Karni was the owner of a firm in Cape Town, South Africa, known as Top-Cape Technology (“Top-Cape”), which specialized in the import and export of high-end electronics products. In 2002, Karni was contacted by the owner of an Islamabad, Pakistan, business and asked to acquire certain models of oscilloscopes manufactured in the United States. Because these particular models of oscilloscopes have applications in the testing and development of nuclear weapons and missile delivery systems, the Department of Commerce requires anyone seeking to export them to certain countries, including Pakistan, to obtain a license. Karni supplied the equipment without obtaining the license, funneling them through South Africa and then on to Pakistan.

Karni was contacted again in June 2003 and was asked to purchase triggered spark gaps for a customer in Pakistan, which the United States prohibits for non-proliferation reasons. In October 2003, Commerce and ICE agents tracked the first installment of 66 triggered spark gaps as the package traveled from the United States to Top-Cape in South Africa and then on to Pakistan through the United Arab Emirates. Outstanding cooperation between U.S. and South African law enforcement agencies led to searches in New Jersey and South Africa.

On January 1, 2004, agents arrested Karni as he entered the United States at Denver International Airport.

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Inside ICE is an e-newsletter produced by the ICE Office of Public Affairs to inform the public about the mission, operations and activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Please send comments and contributions to Russ Bergeron, Editor.

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