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"Traffic" in '
nickel
to IRlmsia
VIENNA (A.P.).— Salz
burg police said they
were investigating re
ports that large quanti-
ties of nickel, bought
with Russian gold sent
to England, are being
shipped illegally behind
the Iron Curtain.
International smugglers
may have established a
"nickel road" between East
and West, running through
Bavaria and Austria, ' the
police said.
Police suspicions were
aroused after the seizure" of
80 bars of raw nickel at'
Piding, on the German side
of the Austrian-German
border, during the last few
days.
Police view
The seizure followed the
confiscation of 66101b. of
raw nickel in Salzburg on
December 10.
Previously another 440
lb., illegally imported
into Austria from Ger-
many, were seized.
Police said the smug
glers may have their head
quarters in Switzerland.
Officials speculated that
sterling funds reported to
have been received by the
Soviet Union in exchange
for gold bullion delivered
to England may be partial
ly used in paying for the
illegal nickel shipments.
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