(CNN) -- Officials in Moldova seized 1.8 kilograms (about 4 pounds) of uranium and arrested five people in connection with the operation, a government official, who declined to be identified, told CNN Tuesday.
Officials said that they discovered the Uranium 238, known as yellowcake, in the city of Chisinau on July 20, a statement said Tuesday.
The smugglers were trying to traffic the uranium with an intent to sell it for more than $11 million. It was not clear where the uranium originated or where it was going.
However, yellowcake, a course powder that gets its name for its often yellow color, cannot be used to make a nuclear bomb.
It is the most commonly occurring found form of uranium and is not a fissile substance, meaning that it must be enriched in an "elaborate set-up" before it can be used for nuclear weapons, said Xiachun He, a Georgia State University professor of nuclear physics.
Moldovan authorities said a German atomic center will perform an expert analysis of the seized uranium to establish the enrichment percentage and the country of origin. The radioactive material has been placed in a special container and is under guard.
-------------------- It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious. Posts: 3311 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Probably a lot like drug trafficking. You catch one, but how many get through still?
-------------------- It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so many things that aren't so. Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
