Indian police have arrested seven people after recovering “mineral uranium” weighing more than six kilogrammes from their possession.
The suspects, who intended to sell the highly radioactive substance in the black market, were arrested from an area in the state of Jharkhand.
According to the Indian Express, the authorities seized 6.4kg uranium from the suspects while manhunt underway to arrest the person from who they had bought the substance.
“All the accused were arrested from the Bokaro district of Jharkhand and were booked under IPC Sections 414 (Whoever voluntarily assists in concealing or disposing of or making away with property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention) and under various sections of Atomic Energy Act,” reported the publication.
“Seven people were arrested for possessing and planning to sell a mineral, which is suspected to be uranium after we received a tip. We are further investigating the case and the mineral is sent to the lab to check its veracity,” the publication quoted Superintendent of Police Chandan Jha as saying.
However, the official press release issued by police and the FIR, according to the publication, mentioned that the seized mineral was uranium.
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