Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two persons on Friday for possessing natural Uranium, a highly radioactive substance.
The two accused are identified as Jigar Jayesh Pandya, 27 and Abu Tahir Afzal Hussain Choudhary, 31. ATS has so far recovered a total of 7.1 kilograms of natural uranium worth ₹ 21.30 crore from the two accused.
According to the officials, on February 14, a team of Nagpada unit of the ATS team arrested Pandya with Uranium based on a piece of specific information to inspector Santosh Bhalekar.
During Pandya's interrogation, he revealed that the seized Uranium was given to him by Tahir, a resident of Mankhurd. The ATS team immediately rushed to the Kurla Scrap Association premises in Mankhurd and arrested him. Uranium was recovered from Tahir as well, the officials said.
Since Uranium is a highly radioactive substance, it was then sent to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for testing. Recently, the BARC officials informed the ATS that the substance they had recovered is natural uranium. It's highly radioactive and also dangerous to human life.
Following BARC's report, an offence under the Atomic Energy Act was registered on Wednesday by the ATS who arrested Pandya and Tahir. They will be produced before the court on Thursday.
