Russian prosecutors have accused a man of trying to illicitly supply Iran with tantalum, a metal used in building nuclear reactors, missile components and chemical treatment technology, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 13, 2007).
Uzbek citizen Anar Godzhayev has been charged with violating Russian customs regulations, the Russian prosecutor general's office said in a statement. A Russian firm founded by Godzhayev regularly conducts business with the Middle Eastern state, AP reported.
According to prosecutors, Godzhayev failed to accurately declare the contents of a delivery after he had received a request in July 2007 to send more than a ton of tantalum products to Iran. He was arrested after customs agents inspected the shipment's contents on an Iran-bound ship.
Godzhayev is being held in southwestern Russia and could soon be tried for the allegations, AP said. (Associated Press/Google News, July 17).