2 held for trying to sell depleted uranium bars in Thane

Two persons were today arrested for allegedly trying to sell depleted uranium (DU) bars in Thane.
The duo were nabbed following a tip-off on December 20 while allegedly trying to sell three DU bars weighing 8.861 kg and the samples were sent to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
"It (BARC report) shows that all this samples are radioactive," an official from the Thane Police's crime branch said.
As the unauthorised possession of active elements is a crime, a case was registered under the Atomic Energy Act- 1962 at Kasarvadawali police station and Kishor Prajapati and Saifullah Khan were arrested, he said.

Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Doiphode of the anti-chain snatching cell had received a tip-off that the duo was trying to sell unusual metal and were asking for Rs 3 crore per KG.
A trap was laid at Ghodbundar Road in Thane and the duo were detained by the crime branch, but the offence was not registered pending the results of the lab tests.

During investigation, it has been ascertained that the duo sourced the bars used in civil aviation from an aeroplane sent for scrap in 2006-07, but the police suspects that these were sourced from abroad.
According to officials, the duo had privately ascertained that the element is indeed depleted uranium before selling it, instead of informing the authorities.

Now that the radioactivity has been confirmed, sources said all the people who handled the metal will have to undergo medical tests for radioactive exposure.