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Georgia arrests two over alleged planto sell radioactive uranium

By AFP
March 14, 2019

TBILISI: Georgia said Wednesday it had arrested two men for allegedly trying to sell $2.8 million worth of radioactive uranium, the latest in a series of such seizures in the former Soviet republic. The state security service said the two were attempting to sell 40 grams (1.4 ounces) of uranium-238 isotope for $2.8 million (2.4 million euros). The suspects were arrested in the Black Sea resort of Kobuleti, investigator Savle Motiashvili told journalists. If convicted, they could face of up to 10 years in prison. While radioactive uranium-238 is not suitable for a nuclear weapon, it can be used to make a dirty bomb, a conventional explosive that contains radioactive material.