4 arrested for smuggling uranium worth over Rs 5 billion

Kathmandu: For the first time, people have been arrested in Nepal with two and a half kilograms of uranium. This is the first time uranium has been seized as a result.

According to IG Hari Bahadur Pal, chief of the Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari, uranium-238 has been seized and four people have been arrested.

According to Pal, the value of the seized uranium is estimated to be more than Rs 5 billion. Uranium was seized from a house in Boudh in the capital. The arrested accused stated in his statement that he had brought uranium from a mine in India 20 years ago.

Police arrested them yesterday along with uranium. According to Pal, the substance found in their possession has been confirmed by testing in the lab of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).

Among the arrested are Narayan Singh Tamang, 40, Januka Tamang, 40, Prakash Chauhan, 20, and Manoj Neupane, 20. Narayan Singh and Januka Ramechhap are from Likhu Tamakoshi while Chauhan is from Bagjor in Ramechhap. Neupane is from Sindhuli Sunkoshi.

Seized uranium is natural uranium. Uranium 238 is made by processing uranium 238. The energy released from one kilogram of uranium 235 is considered to be equal to the energy released from 300,000 tons of coal. The price of 10 grams of uranium 235 is estimated to be 2 million 9 thousand dollars or more than 180 million rupees. 

It is a radioactive metal with atomic weight. It is considered the most precious metal. The metal was used in an atomic bomb dropped on Japan during World War II.