Georgia's State Security Service announced Thursday the arrest of two individuals suspected of attempting to sell uranium worth $3 million. One Georgian and one Turkish citizen were detained in the coastal city of Batumi, according to the prosecutor general.
The Georgian national is accused of illegally acquiring and storing the radioactive material before attempting to sell it to the Turkish suspect, the agency said. The pair now face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Authorities described the operation as preventing a "transnational crime," stating the uranium involved could have been used to create a bomb capable of causing mass casualties.
Video footage released by the State Security Service showed law enforcement officers scanning a passenger vehicle with radiation detectors and examining two small vials, one of which appeared to contain a white, powdery substance. The agency did not disclose the uranium’s enrichment level, origin, or intended destination. The International Atomic Energy Agency declined to comment on the case when contacted.
Georgia has faced multiple cases of illicit radioactive material trafficking since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2019, two people were detained for attempting to sell uranium-238, and in 2016, twelve individuals were arrested in separate operations involving uranium-238 and uranium-235 worth over $200 million.