Uranium smuggling to China prevented in Georgia

Georgian security officers detained three Chinese nationals in Tbilisi upon their attempt to buy illegally uranium and ship it to China, Georgia's State Security Service First Deputy Head Lasha Magradze said.

The Georgian security official said that during a joint operation carried out by the staff of the State Security Service’s counter-intelligence and special operations departments, three citizens of China were detained for an attempt to buy 2 kg of the nuclear material of uranium.

"The members of the criminal gang planned to buy uranium illegally in Tbilisi for $400,000 and transport it to China through the Russian Federation," the statement reads.

Georgia has opened a criminal probe under the article "Illegal Handling of Nuclear Materials or Devices, Radioactive Waste or Substances" of the country’s Criminal Code that carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.