450 kg of contraband uranium ore found in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO - A cache of 450 kg of enriched uranium ore, a dangerous mineral used for nuclear arms production, has been unearthed by police in the north Brazilian state of Amapa.

The operation to seize radioactive material was a result of four months of work by investigators, who found a bag of pitchblende Friday in a remote area of a tropical rainforest.

Pitchblende, or uraninite, is an extremely radioactive mineral used as a major component for the production of fuel for nuclear power plants and nuclear arms.

Brazil’s nuclear capabilities are considered the most advanced in Latin America. The country runs its sole nuclear power plant, Angra, with two reactors, and a third is under construction.

–RIA Novosti