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Two held with 26 kg uranium in AP

The Hyderabad city police Sunday seized 26 kg of radioactive uranium and arrested two persons in the old city.

City Police Commissioner S R Sukumara said, "The accused secured the radioactive material from Bibi General Hospital and Cancer Research Institute at Malakpet, with some other old parts, for Rs 60,000 in 1998."

The commissioner said that two persons were caught by the police when "trying to dispose of two parts of radioactive material containing uranium in collimetors of theratron therapy weighing 26 kg, in Hyderabad city.''

He said that the radioactive material was used for the treatment of cancer patients. "On knowing that it was a highly valuable and sensitive material, they (the accused) were in search of good buyers who could pay huge amounts," he pointed out.

The arrested persons have been identified as Mohammed Ghouse Mohiuddin alias Mateen (35), a resident of Madannapet, and Mohammed Khaja Moinuddin alias Awais (27), a resident of Yakutpura in the old city.

"Any installation of sensitive equipment containing radioactive material in any institution or its disposal should be done with the approval and under the supervision of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, in accordance with procedures and regulations laid down, since any exposure to the radioactive material can be hazardous externally and internally," the commissioner pointed out and added that "the characteristic features of this material, its applications and its value are under investigation."

The accused separated the uranium from scrap and wanted to smuggle it out as it can fetch millions of dollars in the international market.

The police have also taken up investigations into the failure of the private hospital in handling the hazardous material properly. The hospital was supposed to return the radioactive material to BARC after using it for the treatment of cancer patients.

EARLIER REPORT
Radioactive uranium recovered from Hyderabad

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