Alfred Hempel

Who was Alfred Hempel?

Alfred Hempel was a German businessman who was born 1920 and died in 1989. He attracted international attention because of his trade and smuggling of materials used in nuclear facilities in Pakistan, India, Argentina and several other countries.

Hempel came into the public spotlight after it was revealed in 1988 that he had smuggled Norwegian and Russian heavy water to India. The heavy water was used in one of the Indian reactors used for production of nuclear weapon material. This transfer happened in 1983, and was one of several such operations carried out by Hempel's network of companies. Hempel's technique during this and other such operations was to apply for export of the heavy water to a bona fide country such as Germany, then divert the shipment to the real buyer.

After a Norwegian newspaper revealed Hempel's operation in Norway, several countries including the USA, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland started investigating his businesses dealings. Norway demanded an explanation from India, but never received one.