Moldovan police arrest more persons suspected of smuggling uraniun

Chisinau, 9 December /MOLDPRES/ - The police suspect 11 Moldovans of acting as members of a criminal group, that was smuggling uranium. Seven people were arrested and another four are on the wanted list. 

At a today news conference, the head of the General Police Inspectorate, Ion Bodrug, said that 205 grams of uranium, which traffickers wanted to sell for 1.6 million euros, had been introduced in Moldova via contraband from Russia.

„In order to document the actions of the group, an under-cover policeman was introduced in the scheme, who initially purchased 5 grams of radioactive material from a group member. With the support of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), it was established that the substance is uranium”, Bodrug said.

„The uranium was introduced in Moldova by train, in a special box, so that it could not be discovered by customs inspectors and their special equipment,” prosecutor Vladimir Mosneaga said.

Following the searches made at the group members, more documents, information devices, which would prove the suspects’ guilt, were seized. At the same time, a kilogram of mercury was raised too.

The suspects are aged between 35 and 75 and are residents of the Chisinau municipality, Orhei and Edinet towns. At present, they are under criminal investigation for contraband and transport of raw material used on nuclear purposes.