
Seized uranium could have made dirty bomb
by
Publisher
on Thu 29 Nov 2007 07:03 AM AKST
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- Two Hungarians and a Ukrainian arrested in an
attempted sale of uranium were peddling material believed to be from
the former Soviet Union, and it was enriched enough to be used in a
radiological "dirty bomb," police said Thursday.
The three, who were arrested Wednesday in eastern Slovakia and Hungary,
were trying to sell about a pound of uranium in powder form, said First
Police Vice President Michal Kopcik.
"It was possible to use it in various ways for terrorist attacks,"
Kopcik said.
Investigators were still working to determine who ultimately was trying
to buy the uranium, which the three allegedly was selling for US$1
million.
He said police had intelligence suggesting that the suspects -- whose
names were not released -- originally had planned to close the deal
sometime between Monday and Wednesday. Police moved in when the sale
did not occur as expected, he said.
One of the Hungarians had been living in Ukraine.
Kopcik said three other suspects -- including a Slovak national
identified only as Eugen K. -- were detained in the neighboring Czech
Republic in mid-October for allegedly trying to sell fake radioactive
materials. It was unclear to what degree, if any, ...
more »