Two recent incidents raised concerns about nuclear safety and security in India
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded a thorough investigation into the reports of illegal uranium trade in India after the second incident of theft of nuclear material in a month.
Pakistan expressed serious concerns after police in India arrested seven people and seized 6.4 kgs of uranium from their possession. The incident took place in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand in Bokaro district. They were planning to sell the ‘mineral uranium’ in the black market, according to Indian media.
Bokaro police officials said they would “send it to experts for tests. Uranium is a highly radioactive substance used at nuclear facilities.” The suspects are believed to be part of a gang involved in the illegal uranium trade. They had fixed its price at 5 million INR (Indian Rupees).
Pakistan demands investigation into theft of nuclear materials
“Pakistan reiterates its call for a thorough investigation of such incidents and measures for strengthening the security of nuclear materials to prevent their diversion” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.
It was the second time in India that such a highly radioactive substance was seized by police from unauthorized persons in a month’s time. “Similar incident involving 7 kg of Uranium in the Indian state of Maharashtra last month and other such reports in the past are a matter of deep concern as they point to lax controls, poor regulatory and enforcement mechanisms, as well as the possible existence of a black market for nuclear materials inside India” Pakistan FO statement reads.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the IAEA Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) make it binding on states to ensure stringent measures to prevent nuclear material from falling into wrong hands.
Last month, Indian police had seized over seven kgs of natural uranium and arrested two men in the western Maharashtra state for “illegally possessing” the highly radioactive substance worth Indian Rupees 21.30 crores (around $2.9 million).
P, Indian media reported on Friday, marking the second time in less than a month that authorities have captured a large quantity of radioactive material from unauthorized persons in the country.
The illicit trafficking and theft of nuclear material can lead to nuclear proliferation and to the creation of weapons usable material.
Uranium is used to power nuclear reactors that produce electricity and to produce isotopes used for medical, industrial, and nuclear explosives.
