Georgia says Chinese citizens tried to buy uranium

Georgia’s internal security service announced that it arrested three Chinese citizens who tried to illegally purchase two kilograms of “nuclear material” uranium in the capital Tbilisi.

Georgia’s Interpress news agency quoted the deputy head of the Georgian State Security Service as saying that the three detainees planned to buy uranium for $400,000 and transport it to China via Russia.

It was stated that uranium was “nuclear material”, but no detailed information was given about the reason for the planned purchase.

The security official was quoted as saying that the detainees were facing charges that could lead to imprisonment for up to 10 years.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, of which Georgia was a member, in 1991, the security of Soviet-era nuclear materials became one of the biggest concerns.

In recent years, there have been several serious incidents involving the illegal trade of nuclear materials in Georgia.

In July, Georgia arrested a Georgian and a Turkish citizen accused of illegally purchasing, possessing and destroying radioactive materials that the national security agency said could have been used to make a deadly bomb.