MosNews, Russia
Jan 30 2007
Russian Prosecutors Consider Probe Into Uranium Smuggling
Created: 30.01.2007 12:26 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 14:02 MSK, 1 hour 30
minutes ago
MosNews
Russia is considering an inquiry into possible theft of highly
enriched uranium from its nuclear sites, as another uranium smuggling
report surfaced from Georgia, the Reuters news agency reported on
Tuesday quoting a spokesman for the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Georgia announced last week that in February 2006 a Russian citizen
was arrested and jailed for trying to sell 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of
highly enriched uranium-235 to Islamist extremists. Russia called the
announcement a provocative act.
Documents from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) seen by
Reuters suggested the uranium may have come from the Russian city of
Novosibirsk in Siberia.
`The Russian Prosecutor-General has asked for copies of documents
(from Georgia) to start checks, and to consider launching a criminal
case on the illegal purchase and holding of radioactive substances,’
the spokesman said.
Highly enriched uranium in big enough quantities can be used to make
a nuclear bomb.
A senior Georgian government official told Reuters on Monday a
similar nuclear smuggling case occurred in 2003.
Shota Utiashvili, head of the Interior ministry’s information and
analytical section, said border guards then caught an Armenian man
trying to smuggle 170 grams of highly enriched uranium-235 across the
Armenia-Georgia border.
`According to our information the uranium was bought from Russia,’ he
said.
Utiashvili said the man was handed over to the Armenian police but he
was unaware what had happened to him after that.
Armenian officials were not available for comment.
The case has revived worries about the safety and security of
hazardous material left over after the disintegration of the Soviet
Union. Experts had said tightened security had reduced the chances of
uranium being traded on the black market to virtually nil.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
