Tahir, who is in custody in Malaysia, gave police an extensive description of the network's operation after he was detained a year ago.
Tahir said the arrangement with Libya grew out of a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, between Khan and Mohammed Matuq Mohammed, head of Libya's nuclear program.
Unlike Iran and North Korea, Libya lacked the technical expertise or manufacturing base to build the complex plants necessary to enrich uranium and develop a weapon.
As a result, the network had to develop an off-the-shelf enrichment facility for Libya.
Tahir said Lerch was in charge of supplying key parts for the project "by sourcing from South Africa."
South Africa offered plenty of sophisticated engineering firms and an advanced steel industry. Though the government in Pretoria had voluntarily abandoned its nuclear weapons in 1991, some of the program's industrial infrastructure remained.
Wisser had used his involvement in that program to justify a request to carry a weapon. In a 1984 application for a gun permit, he told authorities, "I very often carry highly confidential and classified documentation" from the nuclear and arms industries.
At dinner in Dubai 15 years later, the Khan network turned to Wisser, offering him a $1-million commission.
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South African Visitor
Returning to Dubai a few weeks later, Wisser brought Meyer, the owner of Tradefin and an old acquaintance from the South African nuclear program. Meyer, who had built an engineering firm after leaving the government, agreed to take on Tahir's project.
Wisser was pleased for two reasons: He looked forward to his "generous commission," and he was happy to steer some "lucrative business" to a friend.
They intended to call on Tahir. Wisser wanted to introduce Meyer to the people paying the bills. But the Khan associate turned them away.
"Mr. Tahir had no wish to meet Mr. Meyer and insisted that I should rather relay payment requests and other information to him via telephone," Wisser recalled.
It was not the only oddity in their business relationship: Meyer also was never told where the finished product would be sent.
But whatever doubts Wisser and Meyer may have shared, they launched the project early in 2000 and the money started coming in.
Meyer received direct payments from Tahir, according to investigative reports. Meyer also received prepaid shipments of instruments and other material from outside South Africa, the reports said.
