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| Europe |
| Moldova detains seven suspected of uranium smuggling |
| 2014-12-10 |
| CHISINAU -- Police in Moldova said on Tuesday they had detained seven people suspected of smuggling radioactive Uranium-238 on a train from Russia, a substance they said could have been used to make a "dirty bomb". Police discovered about 200 grams (7 oz) of hazardous substances worth about 1.7 million euros ($2.1 million) during a sting operation last week, said Ion Bodrug, head of an Interior Ministry investigative department. The last known attempt to sell U-238 in Moldova was in August 2010 when police arrested three people from organized crime groups. "After a preliminary examination we realized we were talking about Uranium-238, an extremely dangerous radioactive substance used to make 'dirty' nuclear bombs," he told a news conference. Another dangerous substance, mercury, was also discovered by the police, who believe the gang's aim was to sell the materials in Europe, Bodrug said. The International Atomic Energy Agency is in "touch with Moldovan authorities regarding the case", senior IAEA official Serge Gas said in an email. He gave no further detail. The Vienna-based United Nations agency has stepped up calls on member states to tighten security to prevent nuclear and radioactive materials from falling into the wrong hands. Last year, the IAEA said that more than 100 incidents of thefts and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and radioactive material are reported by member states annually. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 My birth-land. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-12-10 13:52 |