Maha ATS seizes over 7 kg uranium worth 21 cr, 2 held

The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two persons on Thursday for allegedly possessing uranium weighing over 7 kilograms. The two identified as Jigar Jayesh Pandya, 27 and Abu Tahir Afzal Hussain Choudhary, 31 were arrested after the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) officials confirmed that the material recovered from the two was found to be natural uranium, a highly radioactive substance.

According to the officials, on February 14, police inspector Santosh Bhalekar of Nagpada ATS unit received a specific information that one person is searching for a potential buyer to sell huge quantity of uranium. Accordingly they laid a trap and nabbed Pandya with a small quantity of Uranium suspected substance.

During his interrogation, he revealed that the seized uranium was given to him by Choudhary, a residence of Mankhurd. The ATS team immediately rushed to Kurla Scarp association premises in Mankhurd and apprehended Choudhary. From him around 7 kilograms of Uranium suspected substance was recovered.

Since Uranium is a highly radioactive substance it was then sent to BARC for testing. "Recently BARC officials informed us that the substance we had recovered is natural uranium with purity over 90 percent, in inter national market such quantity of uranium is worth 21.30 crore," said Shivdeep Lande, DIG ATS.

Following the report the ATS on Wednesday registered an offence under the relevant sections of Atomic Energy Act against the two and arrested them. The offence was registered on the complaint of regional director of Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research as it is mandatory as per the law.

Both the accused were produced before the court on Thursday which remanded them ATS custody till April 12.