Three sentenced for Moldova illegal uranium trading

illegal uranium trading

A Moldovan court on Thursday sentenced three people, as well as one woman, for their part in illegal trafficking of uranium-235 which can be used in creation nuclear weapons.The three were part of a five-member group who were held by police in central Chisinau last June, apparently even as exchanging a cylinder containing the radioactive material for cash.

Intelligence services from some other countries, principally the United States, Germany and neighbouring Ukraine, were concerned in the case, justice authorities in Moldova said,“A woman, a Russian citizen of 38-years, was sentenced to three years in jail. Her accomplice get five years and a third accused was fined 15,000 lei (764.33 pounds),” Maria Vieru, spokeswoman for the common prosecutor’s office, told Reuters.

The group had been demanding to sell the one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of uranium-235 for 32 million euros ($38 million), the prosecution said. The contraband was recognized as uranium-235, which can be used in nuclear weapons, even though it was not clear to what degree it was enriched.The three were accused of setting up a criminal group specialising in the attainment storing and transporting of contraband uranium and selling it to the illegal community.

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