Uranium seized in Moldova

LONDON - Police in the eastern European country of Moldova have seized around two kilograms of uranium-238, the radioactive substance used to produce atom bombs, and detained three people who were trying to sell it, media reports said.

From where the uranium was brought has not been established, but was kept in a garage of a former policeman in Chisinau town, Xinhua reported citing the official Moldpres news agency.

“Three were detained after being followed by the police for a month,” said Oleg Putuntica, head of the fraud investigation department of the Moldovan interior ministry.

The suspects intended to sell the uranium to “countries with high risk people”, he said.

Uranium-238 does not emit radiation that would pose a danger to the environment, but it could be used to manufacture atom bombs.