Mumbai, Dec 8 (IANS) The Maharashtra police and atomic energy officials here are in a tizzy following the recovery of around 5 kg of uranium from three people in Navi Mumbai.
The police arrested three people when they were attempting to carry the material from an unidentified location in Navi Mumbai last Sunday, Police Commissioner (Navi Mumbai) Gulabrao Pol told IANS. The trio - whose identity and motives are not revealed by the investigators - were remanded to police custody till Dec 17 by a local court Tuesday afternoon.
The material was sent to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for tests and was confirmed as “depleted uranium”.
Following this, the BARC summoned officials from the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD), Nagpur, to inquire into the matter.
AMD officials arrived here and lodged a formal complaint with the Navi Mumbai police, an official of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) told IANS here Tuesday.
“The depleted uranium is usually used as an excellent ‘radiation shielding material’ used in various applications. But it is a banned item and cannot be transported without following proper safety and security protocols,” the official explained.
He added that in the form it was recovered - in pieces similar to stones - it cannot be inhaled or ingested and did not pose harm to humans or environment, though more tests would be required to come to a final conclusion.
The official suspects that it may have its origins in some scrap market, but it was up to police to investigate it.
Pol said that investigations were on to find out from where the material could have been sourced and how it landed in the hands of the accused.
The DAE official declined to comment on the estimated value of the depleted uranium.
Indian nukes are unsafe, and can be potentially stolen and used against US and Nato forces in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has been seeking nuclear material for long now, and they’ve found India as an easy depot to shop at.
The world must take on this issue with seriousness and formulate a joint strategy for the security of Indian nuclear material, lest it fall into the hands of extremists who seek to harm the civilized world. India must cease all terrorist activities in the region, and refocus its energies on itself. It is apparent that Indian security apparatus has corroded with time, otherwise the nuclear material would be off-limits to anyone without high enough clearance. Or have the clearance standards dropped?
We hear much about the “fear” of Pakistani nukes being unsafe, but no one has stolen from a Pakistani facility, let alone been allowed to be close enough to Nuclear plants. In India however, you can apparently steal the material with a 3 man team, and nearly get away with it.
and you have compared the situation to pakistan nuclear arsenals…there is a difference…
any pakistan security personal, army officer and even politician can smugle the arsenal for ideological reasons…and for that the civilized world is more concerned..
Any incident which really happened outweighs the “can happen” or “could happen” theories. No Pakistani army personnel has stolen or leaked nuclear material yet, these all are theories, but this incident is a reality like a case of “Nani-ji ka Paandaan”. Regardless of who stole it, extremists or some nutters for financial gains, the thought of easy access to such sensitive material that any Tom, Dick and Harry can steal it is terrifying.
Actually it is. It the basis on which Homeland Security and the CIA have based their dirty bomb scare. It does enough damage to generally **** over a city.
have you forgotten that your prominent scientist first smugled the nuclear techniqe to pakistan and late*r from pakistan to other countries...*.
There you go, you said it. Don't you think there is a difference between transferring TECHNOLOGY to other COUNTRIES and stealing nuclear material from nuclear sites for unknown purpose?
There you go, you said it. Don't you think there is a difference between transferring TECHNOLOGY to other COUNTRIES and stealing nuclear material from nuclear sites for unknown purpose?
Nucelar material from nuclear site ????? which news are you reading ????
Here is what it says about this incident ....
While the stolen quantity and form of Uranium is not of much concern — as it is considered to be depleted and “in scrap condition” — it is used in radiography cameras** and X-ray machines**
So unless the "extremists" are going to make "cameras and x-ray machines" from this there is no danger :D
OP has given a good title to this news ...... as i said before.... a bomb blast leads to a news article on India.... this news was posted a few days in any case ... mods are slacking too !!!
Nucelar material from nuclear site ????? which news are you reading ????
Here is what it says about this incident ....
While the stolen quantity and form of Uranium is not of much concern — as it is considered to be depleted and “in scrap condition” — it is used in radiography cameras** and X-ray machines**
So unless the "extremists" are going to make "cameras and x-ray machines" from this there is no danger :D
OP has given a good title to this news ...... as i said before.... a bomb blast leads to a news article on India.... this news was posted a few days in any case ... mods are slacking too !!!
:)
So you are saying that BARC only deals with "scrap" hence it's not a nuclear site? I think you know what other materials BARC deals with. If some petty thieves can steal this so called "SCRAP" so easily then it raises concerns about BARC's safety measures in place, for secure handling and security of such materials. I wonder what other "scrap" is just lying there for grasp!
Indian media, of course, would pick the safest use for depleted uranium to soften the impact and embarrassment. But who we are kidding! Did thieves leave Rs 50000 affidavit that they will use it only in commercial x-ray or in cameras?
The issue here is not what they stole and uses of what they stole, the main concern is where they stole it from. If BARC can't secure it's SCRAP then it raises doubts about its ability to secure more sensitive material in the facility.
Well i am sure no will say anything about this incident
CNN BBC or Indian media will not pay much attention because all they want is to harras pakistan not india.
India is the darling of the world and any such thing is forgiven.
So hugs from me to Indian Atomic personel and i would tell them keh aise hota hai fikkar not sweetheart.
So you are saying that BARC only deals with "scrap" hence it's not a nuclear site? I think you know what other materials BARC deals with. If some petty thieves can steal this so called "SCRAP" so easily then it raises concerns about BARC's safety measures in place, for secure handling and security of such materials. I wonder what other "scrap" is just lying there for grasp!.
Again i would stress please READ the news item before you posy your views ...... just because you SAW stolen and BARC in the same sentence does not mean it was stolen from BARC. Agar aap angrezi nahi samajte to iska urdu mein tarjuma karwa le :D
According to former AEC chairman PK Iyengar, “In BARC, there are proper processes to ensure that uranium in any form does not reach the wrong hands. Such Uranium-238 would come in scrap from countries like Iraq, and it isusually found in places where re-processing is done. It is as such not harmful and cannot be used in any harmful activity. "
So if only you had cared to read one of the reports you had posted yourself ..... what has been recovered is useless material which perhaps would have been recovered from scrap which comes for reprocessing to India. It could have come from metal scrap from Iraq or from stuff like ships and aeroplanes that are send to India for scrap recovery.
