Gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment recovered from BBC China in Italy, en route to Libya in 2003
MVBBC China was a 5,548 GT general cargo vessel constructed in China that was completed in 2000. The ship was initially named Beluga Superstition, being renamed in 2002. The vessel gained notoriety after it was caught carrying gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment to Libya in 2003. In 2004, the vessel ran aground off the coast of South Africa. The wreck was subsequently demolished with explosives.
The cargo ship's keel was laid down at Qingshan Shipyard in Wuhan, China on 28 February 2000. While under construction the ship was named Beluga Superstition. The vessel was launched on 4 November 2000 and was completed on 4 July 2001.[1] On 1 October 2002, the ship was renamed BBC China. BBC China was operated by Beluga Shipping GMBH of Bremen, Germany, and flaggedinAntigua & Barbuda.[2]
In October 2003 the ship was diverted to Italy while carrying gas centrifuges and nuclear components for uranium enrichment from Scomi Precision Engineering and A. Q. Khan's Khan Research Laboratories via Dubai to Libya.[3][4] With the aid of the German shipping company and the German government, the vessel was redirected to Italy where US government personnel boarded the vessel and discovered the centrifuges, which had not been on the vessel's manifest.[3]
Antigua & Barbuda
