Eight including Nepali Congress leader Mahat arrested in suspicion of uranium smuggling

Police have arrested eight people from Kathmandu's Boudha area while they were making trade deal about a radio active material, uranium they were in possession of.

A high level Police Source told pardafas that of the arrested is Nawaraj Mahat, a leader of ruling Nepali Congress who was a candidate for provincial election from Lalitpur -3 KA.

A team of Metropolitan Police Circle Boudha, acting upon a tip off, arrested them from the premises of Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bouddh. According to police, uranium-like substance was found inside a Hyundai Gatez car (Ba 5 Cha 8209) parked in the parking lot of Hyatt Hotel.

The black shimming powder like material was carefully packed inside black leather bag which was then confiscated by the police. The police have sent the material to National Academy of Science and Technology to further verify the quanity of the material.

Police has said to officially declare the material as uranium after verification from the NAST. But, the police has reached into the conclusion that the confiscated material is uranium.

Among the other arrestees are Gopilal Das of Thamel who hailed from Laxmipur Patri Rural Municipality of Siraha, Ram Krishna Lamichhane of Sindhupalchok Helambhu currently residing in Bouddha, Bhupendra Khadka of Kapan, Nawaraj Mahat of Lalitpur and Jibach Narayan Yadav of Siraha now residing in Thamel and Surendra Prasad Chaudhary of Mahottari currently residing in Gokarneshwor Kathmandu.

Similar incident had come to light in March  2021 earlier after police were able to seized two and a half kilos of uranium worth Rs 1.5 billion.

What is uranium?

According to the World Nuclear Association, uranium is a heavy metal that is used in the production of nuclear energy and weapons.

There are different kinds uranium, the naturally occouring uranium is identified as uranium-238. It is the uranium orb. When uranium 238 is processed through highly sophesticated technology it becomes Uranium 235, which are used in atomic bombs and to generate electricity. The  uranium-234 is even rare form of uranium. Upon reacting it through nuclear reaacters in larger factories it can produce abundant energy which is used to generate electricity in the developed worlds.

Uranium was discovered in 1789 by the German chemist Martin Claproth. It was later renamed Uranus, the seventh planet in our solar system, after Uranus.