The Philippines arrested three people suspected of illegally trading depleted uranium, confiscating about 100 kg of material containing this radioactive substance.
The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation said on December 9 that it had launched an unprecedented raid to arrest a group suspected of illegally trading depleted uranium, after being warned by the government’s Nuclear Research Institute of this group’s crimes. national security threat.
During a three-week raid targeting four locations in the capital Manila and the central and southern regions of the country, Philippine authorities arrested three suspects and confiscated about 100 kg of metal bars, rocks, and drugs. guns containing uranium-235 and uranium-238.
Philippine police in a campaign to crack down on criminals. Image: Reuters
It is unclear where the suspect group got the depleted uranium from. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, this substance can be used as fuel for some nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
The suspects sought to sell depleted uranium on the market by advertising that it was a “rare metal”. The group of suspects was prosecuted for illegally storing and trading nuclear energy materials, which could result in up to 5 years in prison.
Police said the two houses they searched may have been contaminated with uranium and officials are conducting a radioactive removal process before handing them back to the homeowners.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of uranium enrichment for nuclear fuel and weapons. Depleted uranium has low radioactivity but is nearly 70% denser than lead, so it is used as a warhead to increase penetration ability against all types of armor on tanks.