British company involved in nuclear trade: Observer

10 Jun, 2007 12:11 / Updated 17 years ago

A British company has been closed down after being caught attempting to sell weapons-grade uranium in Iran and Syria, according to reports in a leading UK newspaper. The British company has not been named for legal reasons.

The Observer says a group of British nationals were tracked as they obtained the chemical element which was bought on the Russian black market.Anti-terrorist officers and MI6 are now said to be investigating a wider plot based in Britain, allegedly to supply Iran with material for use in a nuclear weapons programme.The report says investigators believe they have uncovered the first proof al-Qaeda supporters have been actively engaged in developing atomic capabilities.A number of the British, understood to have links with Islamic terrorists abroad, remain under surveillance.