Three Chinese nationals have been arrested in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, while trying to illegally buy 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of uranium, the country’s State Security Service said Saturday.
The suspects planned to transport nuclear material to China via Russia, the security service reported in a statement, and released videos of the arrest operation.
“Three Chinese nationals have been arrested in Tbilisi for trying to illegally buy 2 kilograms of nuclear material, uranium,” the agency said, adding that members of the criminal group planned to pay $400,000 (€344,000) for the radioactive material.
According to authorities, a Chinese national already in Georgia, who was violating Georgia’s visa regulations, brought experts to Georgia to search for uranium throughout the country.
Other members of the criminal group coordinated the operation from China, the statement said.
The perpetrators were identified and arrested “while negotiating the details of the illegal transaction,” the security service said.
The agency has not specified when the arrests took place, nor has it given the identity of the suspects.
In January, Takeshi Ebisawa from Japan The alleged leader of a crime syndicate based in Japanpleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle uranium and plutonium from Myanmar, hoping Iran would use it for nuclear weapons.