
455
22
Nuclear Smuggling Hoax
D-38 Counterweight
22.1 BACKGROUND AND ANALYSES
A dense, 8.96-kg metal specimen, dark gray in color, was involved in a sale of illicit
n
uclear
m
aterials
i
n
H
ong
K
ong
i
n
1
988.
I
t
h
ad
b
een
o
ffered
f
or
s
ale
a
s
n
uclear
w
eapons
m
aterial
b
y
a
S
outheast
A
sian
m
ilitary
o
fcial.
T
he
p
art
w
as
s
ubsequently
“
rediscovered”
i
n
a
U
S
c
onsulate
n
early
1
0years
l
ater,
a
nd
f
orensic
c
haracterization
w
as requested.
The
piece was indeed radioactive, and it had a complex shape that indicated it was
i
ntended
t
o
b
e
b
olted
t
o
a
nother
p
art
(
a
p
hotograph
m
ay
b
e
f
ound
i
n
R
ef.
[
1]
a
nd
o
n
t
he
b
ack
c
over
o
f
t
his
b
ook).
A
rc-shaped
w
ear
p
atterns
c
entered ...