Turkey seizes nuclear reactor material from smugglers

Turkish police confiscated radioactive material which is an element of Californium. The material was confiscated from the car in smuggling operations in Pursaklar, Ankara suburb, on Monday, March 19, 2018.

Police said the weight of the material is 1.4 kilograms. Four people in the car were arrested for questioning.

Based on the examination is known, four people are planning to sell the Californium is worth more than USD70, as reported by the BBC, Tuesday (20/3/2018).

It was taken to the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency for further review.

It is not known where it came from. But it is believed that only two countries in the world produce Californium, Russia and the United States.

The isotopes of Californium-252 are commonly used in nuclear reactors, metal detectors, as well as for medical purposes such as handling cancer.

However, these materials are produced in very limited quantities.

The Californium element was first synthesized in a university laboratory in California in 1950.

(iNews)

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