NEW YORK, Nov 28. Authorities looking into the illicit transfers of nuclear weapons technology have recently uncovered a South African-based scheme to deliver a complete uranium enrichment plant to Libya, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Citing documents and interviews, the newspaper said the discovery provided fresh evidence of the reach and sophistication of Pakistani scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan's global black market in nuclear know-how and equipment.

The startling dimensions of the plot began to emerge in September, when police raided a factory outside Johannesburg. They found the elements of a two-story steel processing system for the enrichment plant, packed in 11 freight containers for shipment to Libya the paper said.

South African officials have disclosed only that they discovered nuclear components. The Times has learned that the massive system was designed to operate an array of 1,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium the report said.

Once assembled in Libya, the plant could have produced enough weapon-grade uranium to manufacture several nuclear bombs a year, according to the report. Delivery of the plant would have greatly accelerated Libya's efforts to develop nuclear weapons, The Times said.

The discovery of a South African connection to A.Q. Khan network has led to the arrests of four business and engineering figures in South Africa, including some who had been involved in the former apartheid regime's nuclear programme, the paper said.

South Africa, which was close to testing a nuclear device in the late 1970s, has abandoned its nuclear program following the collapse of the apartheid regime.