Farkhund Yousafzai
Islamabad, 13 August 2024 (TDI): Pakistan is gravely concerned at recurring incidents of theft and illicit sale of nuclear and other radioactive materials in India, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement comes days after police apprehended three individuals in India’s Bihar state for illegally possessing fifty grams of radioactive californium worth 8.5 billion Indian rupees.
Islamabad has also expressed its concern over similar incidents in the past, including in 2021 when three instances of seizure of stolen radioactive material were reported in India in four months.
Pakistan is seriously concerned at the reports of repeated incidents of theft and illicit sale of nuclear and other radioactive materials in India, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was quoted as saying in a media release responding to a question about the recent arrests.
In the latest incident, a gang was found in illegal possession of a highly toxic and radioactive substance californium, worth 100 million dollars in quantity, the statement added.
Islamabad demands Delhi conduct probe into “theft and illicit sale” of radioactive materials
Read more: https://t.co/3aGzTSdkTz#GeoNews
— Geo English (@geonews_english) August 13, 2024
It underlined that three incidents of californium theft were also reported in 2021, while five people with a radioactive device reportedly stolen from Bhabha Atomic Research Center were arrested in July from Dehradun in India’s Uttarakhand state.
These recurring incidents call into question the steps taken by India for the safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive material, Baloch asserted, adding that they also showed the existence of a black market for sensitive, dual use materials inside the country.
She said that the global community was seeking an earnest disclosure from the Indian authorities as to how a sealed Radioactive Source material, like californium, was in the possession of the arrested individuals.
Terming it “dangerous” that such sensitive material in India was “routinely found in the wrong hands”, she said Islamabad reiterated its call for a thorough probe of these incidents and for adequate steps to prevent their recurrence.
According to TOI, californium is a restricted radioactive substance used in portable metal detectors, nuclear power plants, and the treatment of cancer. Its sale and purchase are banned in India.
