Chinese nationals arrested in Georgia, accused of trying to buy uranium | news

The country in the South Caucasus has seen several serious incidents related to the illicit trade in nuclear material in recent years.

Three Chinese nationals have been arrested in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi for allegedly trying to buy 2 kg (4.4 lb) of uranium, state security services say.

The suspects planned to transport nuclear material to China via Russia, the security service said in a statement on Saturday, also releasing video footage of the seizure.

Authorities have charged a Chinese national already in Georgia with violating visa rules to bring experts to Georgia to search for uranium across the country.

Other members of the criminal group coordinated the operation from China, officials said. The State Security Service said the criminals were identified and detained while “negotiating the details of the illegal transaction”.

The agency did not say when the arrests were made or the identities of the suspects.

Members of the group planned to pay $400,000 for the radioactive material, authorities said. They face charges that could carry up to 10 years in prison.

In recent years, Georgia has witnessed several serious incidents related to the illicit trade in nuclear materials. In July, Georgia arrested a Georgian and a Turkish citizen and charged them with the illegal purchase, possession and disposal of radioactive material, which the state security service said could be used to make bombs.

After the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, the security of nuclear material left over from the Soviet era was a major concern, of which Georgia was a member. After the closure of Soviet research institutes, the country became a rich picking ground for smugglers.

In 2019, Georgia said it had detained two people for trying to handle and sell $2.8 million worth of uranium-238.

In 2016, authorities arrested 121 people, including Georgians and Armenians, in two sting operations in the same month, accusing them of trying to sell about $203m worth of uranium-238 and uranium-235.