Thane: Nine kilos of depleted uranium seized
The police said that the two individuals were detained when they were looking for customers to sell the depleted uranium.
Mumbai: The Thane crime branch has arrested two persons and seized around nine kilograms of depleted uranium (DU) plates from them. The police said that the two individuals were detained when they were looking for customers to sell the depleted uranium.
The duo is scrap dealers who sourced the depleted uranium from the remains of an aircraft. The police have not disclosed their names as the probe is underway. The police are ascertaining if the duo has links with scrap dealer Kishore Prajapati and his aides from who they had seized DU worth over 9 kg. The police had arrested Prajapati and his aide on December 21. Prajapati had also obtained the DU from a junk aircraft.
The police sources said, “We arrested the two scrap dealers on Tuesday after a sample which was seized, was tested and confirmed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).” He said, “The accused work on a contract basis. They got a contract from the erstwhile Indian Airlines to scrap a plane. During interrogation, they revealed that they accessed depleted uranium from the aircraft.”
He said, “Later on through their source, they found a dealer who wanted to buy it.” According to Thane police officials, after receiving the tip-off, police officials laid a trap and detained the accused. Police has confirmed, “the substance seized is depleted uranium. It is radioactive and extremely dangerous.” Depleted Uranium is used in weapons and armaments all over the world.
Earlier incidents:
On December 21, police seized around 9 kg of radioactive uranium, a banned material, from two persons in Thane. The Thane crime branch on Sunday also seized 16 kilograms of Depleted Uranium (DU) from a Mira Road-based shoemaker. The police probe revaled that the DU was given to the shoemaker by scrap-dealer Kishore Prajapati.