Georgia arrests man who tried to sell Uranium-238 for 700,000
Georgian security service says a citizen was detained after an attempt to sell Uranium-238 for 700,000; he faces up to 10 years in jail.
The Georgian National Security Service announced the arrest of a Georgian citizen accused of attempting to sell Uranium-238 to a foreign state for 700,000. The detained man faces charges for illegal handling of nuclear material and could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities say the isotope is unlikely to be directly weaponisable
Uranium-238 is the most abundant uranium isotope; while radioactive, it is generally not suitable on its own for constructing an atomic bomb. Georgian security services did not disclose the name of the suspect or the foreign state allegedly involved.
The announcement noted that the case is part of a broader pattern of incidents in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, involving illicit trade in nuclear materials. In February, two people were detained after an attempt to buy uranium worth three million dollars and stocks of a radioactive isotope used in nuclear weapons testing programs.
Investigators are continuing their work and have not released further operational details. Prosecutors will decide whether to bring formal charges that could lead to a prison term of up to ten years if the accused is convicted.
Photo: press material from the event
