By APP
New Delhi : Tall Indian claims of well-protected nukes and allied material fell flat when its police recently seized 4 KG of uranium in the Supaul district along the Indo-Nepal border.Though the authorities tried to hush up the happening to avoidembarrassment at the hands of nuclear expert and watchdogs, the media made itpublic and “Hindustan Times” carried its details in its February 20 issue.
The estimated value of the seized uranium is Rs. 50 million in the international market. Six persons, including a school teacher and a border police soldier, have been arrested on charges of smuggling sensitive nuclear-related material.
Reliable sources maintain that it is not the first instance but a chain in the series of such happenings which were hushed up effectively by the Indian authorities.
According to experts the porous Indo-Nepal Border coupled with loose Indian control over security of fissile materials has become a major worry for counter-terrorism authorities the world over. They fear that the material can end up with terrorists where it can find use in fabrication of a crude dirty bomb.
“Surely, it is also a wake-up call for the IAEA, which is currently engaged in conducting parleys with the Indian nuclear experts”, analysts are of the opinion.