NEW DELHI: Indian police today (Friday) arrested seven people for “illegally possessing” over six kilogrammes of natural uranium, the country’s media reported, marking the second time in less than a month that authorities have captured a large quantity of the radioactive material.
According to the Indian media, the incident took place in the eastern state of Jharkhand in Bokaro district. However, the report claimed officials had not yet arrested the prime suspect from whom the substance was procured.
“Seven people were arrested for possessing and planning to sell a mineral, which is suspected to be uranium after we received a tip. We are further investigating the case and the mineral has been sent to the lab to check its veracity,” SP Chandan Jha told reporters.
All the accused were booked under IPC Sections 414 (Whoever voluntarily assists in concealing or disposing of or making away with property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention) and under various sections of Atomic Energy Act.
The suspects — suspected to be part of a national gang involved in illegal uranium trade — were searching for customers and had fixed its price at 5 million INR. “It is unclear how they got their hands on the radioactive material. During interrogation, they mentioned West Bengal, Giridih and a few other places,” Indian media reported.
It was the second time in India that such a highly radioactive substance was seized by police in recent years. In 2016, police seized almost 9kg (19.8 pounds) of depleted uranium in the Thane area of Maharashtra.
Uranium is used in several areas, including nuclear explosives and medical techniques. The very fact that some people stole or illegally mined uranium raises concerns about nuclear safety and security in India. It also indicates the possibility of a nuclear market existing in India that could be connected to international players.
