3 Chinese Citizens Arrested Over Uranium Scheme

Three Chinese citizens were arrested in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi while attempting to illegally purchase 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of uranium, the country's State Security Service said Saturday. The suspects planned to buy the nuclear material for $400,000 and transport it back to China through Russia, the officials said, per the AP. The Georgian authorities did not identify the suspects or elaborate on a motive.

The scheme allegedly began when a Chinese citizen already in Georgia, who was in breach of visa regulations, brought in experts to search for uranium throughout the country. Others coordinated the operation from China, said the security officials.

Georgia is a former Soviet republic, and Reuters notes that the security of nuclear materials has been a concern since the 1991 fall of the USSR. Back in July, authorities charged a Turkish national and a Georgia resident with the illegal purchase of radioactive material that could have been used to build a bomb.