Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Three Chinese nationals were arrested in Georgia for attempting to buy uranium illegally, facing charges that could lead to 10-year imprisonment.
TBILISI (Reuters) -Georgia's internal security service said on Saturday that it had arrested three Chinese citizens in the capital Tbilisi, for attempting to illegally purchase two kilograms of "nuclear material" uranium, Georgia's Interpress news agency reported.
Interpress cited the deputy head of Georgia's State Security Service as saying the three detainees had been planning to buy the uranium for $400,000 and transport it to China, via Russia. The uranium was "nuclear material", it said, without elaborating on the motive for the planned purchase.
It quoted the security official as saying that the detainees faced charges that could see them imprisoned for up to 10 years.
The security of nuclear materials left over from the Soviet era was one of the biggest concerns after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, of which Georgia was a member. There have been several serious incidents involving the illicit trade in nuclear materials in Georgia over recent decades.
In July, Georgia arrested one Georgian and one Turkish national, charged with the illegal purchase, possession and disposal of radioactive substances, which the national security service said could have been used to make a deadly bomb.
(Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Uranium is a heavy metal used as fuel in nuclear reactors and in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. It is radioactive and must be handled with care.
Nuclear security refers to the measures taken to protect nuclear materials and facilities from theft, sabotage, or unauthorized access.
Penalties for illegal possession of nuclear materials can include significant prison sentences, often up to 10 years, depending on the jurisdiction and severity of the offense.
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