Chinese gang tries to sell uranium

24 August 2007

[China Daily, 24 August] Four men from Hunan province are standing trial in China for allegedly trying to sell 8 kg of uranium. The Tianhe District Court in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, was told that one of the defendants, Zhang Sangang, met a uranium mine owner in April 2005 and who said he wanted to sell the uranium for $26,400 per kg. Zhang agreed to act as the middleman and would keep the difference if he sold it for more. He was joined by the three other defendants in trying to find a buyer for the uranium. At the end of 2006, the gang reportedly made contact with a businessman in Guangzhou, who told them he had found a buyer in Hong Kong. However, the businessman, who knew that it was illegal to sell uranium, reported the gang to the authorities. The men were arrested on 4 January 2007 after travelling to Guangzhou from Hunan province with a 15 gram sample of the uranium. However, the remainder of the 8 kg of uranium has not been located, with the defendants claiming that they had lost track of where it was as it had been moved around so much between potential buyers. The court has said the trial will continue until the missing uranium is recovered. In China, the illegal trade of uranium carries a sentence of three to ten years, but in exceptional cases it can carry the death sentence. The uranium mine owner involved in the case is being tried separately.

Further information

WNA's Nuclear Power in China information paper

WNN: Uranium smuggling allegation in Congo

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