In Tbilisi, Georgia As of January 18, Georgia’s internal security service has arrested three Chinese citizens. They are charged with conspiracy to unlawfully acquire two kilograms of enriched uranium. The operation, which was jointly carried out with the State Security Service, underscores alarming realities regarding the illegal commerce of nuclear materials. These materials are especially troublesome since they come from the Soviet period.
Though the details of their plans had not been worked out, the three detainees reportedly intended to acquire nuclear material for $400,000. They planned to ship it to China overland through Russia. This incident should send up red flags about how these materials could be misused. They could be used to build a more dangerous improvised bomb. Georgia’s deputy head of State Security Service underscored that the charges against the three suspects are grave. If convicted, they would be subject to ten years in prison.
Georgia is no stranger to the challenges of ensuring the security of its nuclear materials in recent history. This fear has been around since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. This shocking ordeal is sadly the third of such harrowing incidents that we have documented this summer alone. In mid-July, police arrested a Georgian citizen and a Turkish national for committing similar offenses by illegally buying, keeping, and disposing of radioactive materials. The pattern hints at a more serious undercurrent of nuclear material trafficking across the region.
In an inspiring report, the Interpress news agency featured one of the most recent arrests, underscoring the need for ongoing awareness and action against these illegal trade practices. Sandwiched between recent decades’ serious close calls in the illegal trade of nuclear materials, Georgia’s significance has increased. This points to the critical importance of robust security standards and greater global collaboration.
