9 Kilos Of Radioactive Depleted Uranium Seized

[The Eagle]

.The material was brought from abroad & police caught it...

That is the most interesting revelation so will you or any other informed member would like to share further details about that ABROAD place. I am sure, here in this news piece, Abroad means out of India or it was out of city. Thane are is near Mumbai so one must think how it made to Mumbai as the only possible way is through sea but all I can guess so would appreciate the details in this regard.

Someone says, it is not dangerous but article and experts says otherwise.

Thanks.

9 Kilos Of Radioactive Depleted Uranium Seized By Thane Police, 2 Arrested
All India | Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: December 21, 2016 23:40 IST

Depleted Uranium is used in weapons, Thane police commissioner said. (Representational image)

THANE: Around 9 kg of radioactive uranium, a banned material, has been seized from two persons in Thane, a top police officer said today. Laboratory tests have confirmed that the seized material is depleted uranium, which is a radioactive poisonous heavy metal. According to preliminary investigations, it was brought from abroad and was intended for sale to some unknown parties in Thane.

"We have confirmed that the substance seized is depleted uranium. It is radioactive and extremely dangerous. Depleted Uranium is used in weapons and armaments all over the world," Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh said after the unexpected haul.


Senior police officer Ravindra Doiphode and his team recently received information that the radioactive material was about to change hands in the city. They laid a trap at a location on the desolate Ghodbunder Road, connecting Mumbai and Thane.

As expected, two persons arrived at Ghodbunder Road near a hotel on motorcycles carrying dark blue pouches, a box and other material - both were arrested.

The police recovered 8.9 kg of uranium - it was identified by laboratory tests.


The two lab reports of different samples recovered along with the seizure said the substance was depleted uranium, one having 87.7 per cent uranium and other 79.5 per cent uranium content.

"Since this is a banned item and not something available in the open market, we are not able to determine its exact value," Doiphode told media persons.

Some independent media reports have claimed depleted uranium is valued at Rs. 3 crore per kg.

Joint Police Commissioner Ashutosh Thombre said they are filing a case under the Atomic Energy Act and sending samples of the substance for additional reports after which further action would be taken.

The police have arrested the two persons and further investigation is on.

 

[Emmie]

Incidents like this are not new in India, uranium(not depleted) has been stolen multiple times from research facilities in India.

That's cause depleted uranium has got nothing to do with nuclear safety as it is mildly radioactive unless you inhale it in aerosol form.
Which us why they are used in large aircrafts and some ships.

How do you define mild in this case? Radioactivity of DU is 60-75% of natural uranium.

 

[Sheikh Rauf]

Strangely enough, Pakistan's foreign office is also dead quite?

In foreign office our finance ministry basically our elected politicians are economic HIT MAN.

 

[Mujraparty]

THE TWO men detained by the Thane police with over 8 kg of Depleted Uranium (DU) earlier this month have told investigators they got the radioactive material from the scrap of an aeroplane. As DU is known to be used in making counterweights in aircraft,

OMG hindu teroorrists trying to make durty atum bumb ...

-o Depleted Uranium Airplane Counterweights Depleted uranium counterweights ends up on scrap pile at scrap merchant.

http://www.wise-uranium.org/dviss.html

 

[Gregor Clegane]

"We have confirmed that the substance seized is depleted uranium. It is radioactive and extremely dangerous. Depleted Uranium is used in weapons and armaments all over the world," Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh said after the unexpected haul.

Police officer is not the best source as lacks knowledge in this area.
Depleted Uranium is not harmful unless you spray it in aerosol form or inhale burning DU smoke:

Depleted uranium is mildly radioactive in its solid form, and poses little cause for concern.

But it is a very heavy substance, 1.7 times denser than lead, and is commonly used on the tips of artillery shells to punch through heavy armour.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/essex/3053020.stm

 

[The Eagle]

Police officer is not the best source as lacks knowledge in this area.
Depleted Uranium is not harmful unless you spray it in aerosol form or inhale burning DU smoke:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/essex/3053020.stm

The two lab reports of different samples recovered along with the seizure said the substance was depleted uranium, one having 87.7 per cent uranium and other 79.5 per cent uranium content.

Police officer is not the best source as lacks knowledge in this area.

He is an Indian official quoted by an Indian Media Source or you are just treating the matter as "under the carpet thing" because it was captured in India. I am sure you will understand the sensitive matter even the Item is banned without any definition of mild or not and can cause a huge damage once reached to the hands that wants to utilize it.

 

[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]

Wonder how many people are ignoring this part out of convenience.... "According to preliminary investigations, it was brought from abroad "

face saving investigation.

 

[Gregor Clegane]

How do you define mild in this case? Radioactivity of DU is 60-75% of natural uranium.

Natural Uranium itself has the same half life as planet earth.
A handful of standard Uranium ore is as radioactive as a dozen bananas.
Thus depleted uranium not going to harm one unless he inhale it in dust form or someone stabs him with a DU knife.
Which is why it is not a priority threat.

You can see that some months back 800 kg of Depleted Uranium oxide was missing/stolen in USA:

[paste:font size="4"]

Loss or theft of 800 kg depleted uranium oxide during transport (USA)
"On Monday, July 18, Manufacturing Sciences Corp. [MSC] shipped five pallets (18 drums) of product containing depleted uranium oxide [DU] to a customer, Clariant, in Louisville, KY. On Wednesday, July 20, the customer contacted MSC to report only four pallets containing 14 drums were received by Clariant. When the bill of lading was examined by the customer, 5 and 18 had been marked through by hand and changed to 4 and 14. The carrier, was contacted and is conducting a thorough search of its terminal and investigating to locate the missing material. The carrier is routinely used by MSC for transport of product. Total activity of missing material: 271,285 microcuries DU."
[271,285 microcuries DU correspond to 776.946 kg UO2, or 807.636 kg U3O8, assuming an assay of 0.2 wt-% U-235]
U.S. NRC Event Report No. 52111, July 20, 2016

Infact for aircraft DU counter weights,

"Because the counterweights will be disposed of in a facility that is not a radioactive waste disposal site and is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission and because they are not regulated domestically as a low-level radioactive waste, specific approval by the state agency responsible for licensing the Waste Control Specialists' site, the Texas Department of Health, is not required." (emphasis added)

The license IW010 was issued by NRC on Nov. 8, 2000.

http://www.wise-uranium.org/dviss.html#EN52111

He is an Indian official quoted by an Indian Media Source or you are just treating the matter as "under the carpet thing" because it was captured in India. I am sure you will understand the sensitive matter even the Item is banned without any definition of mild or not and can cause a huge damage once reached to the hands that wants to utilize it.

A police officer has no idea about radioactivity.
He will think that it is dangerous just because of name uranium.
DU uranium cannot be used be make any dirty bombs.
It is as harmful as say sulphuric acid.

Just see my reply to Emmie above.

 

[The Eagle]

A police officer has no idea about radioactivity.
He will think that it us dangerous just because if name uranium.
DU uranium cannot be used be make any dirty bombs.
It is as harmful as say sulphuric acid.

Isn't it about banned item URANIUM we are talking here. I am sure Atomic Agency has rules defined for such material and it is banned. By such definition, if Uranium is smuggled or caught while doing so, is not to be worried about under the definition as it is not harmful otherwise, there shouldn't be any ban on such type of Uranium. All matters what Atomic Agency says about the material in any form or doesn't worth an alarm in such type. And should be available in market as sulphuric acid.

Where such type of Uranium can be found or in other words, is it easily available anywhere?

 

[Gregor Clegane]

Isn't it about banned item URANIUM we are talking here. I am sure Atomic Agency has rules defined for such material and it is banned. By such definition, if Uranium is smuggled or caught while doing so, is not to be worried about under the definition as it is not harmful otherwise, there shouldn't be any ban on such type of Uranium. All matters what Atomic Agency says about the material in any form or doesn't worth an alarm in such type. And should be available in market as sulphuric acid.

Where such type of Uranium can be found or in other words, is it easily available anywhere?

Depleted Uranium is the only type of Uranium which civilian agencies are allowed to possess excluding medical equipment owing to their very low radioactivity.

 

[The Eagle]

Depleted Uranium is the only type of Uranium which civilian agencies are allowed to possess excluding medical equipment owing to their very low radioactivity.

You did not answer the previous post however still, as it was smuggled says that was not for medical use and indeed was stolen for the facility that raises alarm of safety of such weapon element. What if it was for terrorists?

 

[Gregor Clegane]

You did not answer the previous post however still, as it was smuggled says that was not for medical use and indeed was stolen for the facility that raises alarm of safety of such weapon element. What if it was for terrorists?

The DU in this case was nothing but a DU counterweight which is used in all first 550 Boeing 747s.

NTI which tracks nuclear safety itself says that Depleted uranium is not useful in either a nuclear weapon or a radiological dispersion device(dirty bomb).
http://www.nti.org/media/pdfs/global_trafficking_report.pdf

 

[The Eagle]

You still did not reply to the question however, do you think that smuggling would be done for the right cause as this case?

Where from the product was stolen as it is not available in open market as the way it was smuggled?

What do you think the same fall into terrorists hands like can it be used on tip of any ammo?

 

[somebozo]

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/9-ki...ium-seized-by-thane-police-2-arrested-1640493

Somewhere in INDIA, while international media, US, Pakistan foreign office, politicians, analysts and UN is all hush hush !!!!!

Wait till somebody makes a dirty bomb with it and Pakistan will be blamed..!

 

[ApparentRaceTraitor]

face saving investigation.

And pray do tell, what drove you to this conclusion? What facts and proof do you have to present (not based on your petty little prejudices) that this is a face saving investigation?

As per the report
1) tip off received through sources
2) perpetrators nabbed, DU retrieved
3) Analysis done by technicians

Please do enlighten us what should the indian police have done first to save the stigma of a "face saving investigation"...whatsapped the perps asking them the isotopial configuration of the DU to ensure it didnt come from an indian reactor?

Prejudices and one liner response without substance...a dangerous combo