Mystery metal: 9kg uranium costing Rs 27cr seized in Thane

THANE: The police have seized around 9kg of

depleted uranium

(DU) in Thane, thus appearing to have stumbled upon a nuclear black market involving the

Mumbai Metropolitan Region

. The consignment, costing almost Rs 27 crore, is believed to have been smuggled from a Gulf nation. DU, unlike the pure form of uranium, is only slightly radioactive. Anyone carrying it must be certified by the

Atomic Energy Commission

.

A scrap dealer, Kishor Prajapati, and a frequent flier to the Gulf, Saifullah Khan, both from Kasarvadavali, have been detained by the crime branch and are being questioned about the source and the market for the material. A fortnight ago, Ravindra Doiphode, senior inspector of the anti-chain snatching squad, got a tip-off that Prajapati and Khan were looking for customers for DU, a product not available in the open market. It costs Rs 3 crore per kg in the grey market. "An undercover cop posed as an interested buyer and sought samples. The duo readily provided them, "said Thane joint commissioner of police Ashutosh Dumbre. He said the samples were sent to BARC, which tagged them as DU.

After several rounds of meetings in five-star Mumbai hotels, the undercover cop finalised the deal in exchange for gold biscuits (so that the deal looked genuine), said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Parag Manere. The duo even produced a local lab certificate to show the authenticity of the metal.

On Monday, crime branch cops laid a trap near a hotel on Ghodbunder Road and nabbed the duo, seizing the DU. Khan is believed to have made several visits to the Gulf in two years. Prajapati has a scrap business and has huge debts. The police say a case will be registered under the Atomic Energy Act.