The amount was quite small, but it's still a major concern.
Georgian sources said the highly-enriched uranium – HEU – was intercepted in a sting operation carried out by the Tbilisi authorities in March without international assistance. They said the uranium was more than 70% enriched. The exact analysis is expected in a few days, but it appears to have been pure enough to use in a crude nuclear weapon.
The amount seized was small, measured in grams, so nowhere near the 25kg minimum needed for a functioning bomb, but Georgian officials said the gang was offering the HEU as a sample of a bigger quantity available for purchase. The officials would not comment on the nationality of the gang.
"The Georgian ministry of interior has foiled eight attempts of illicit trafficking of enriched uranium during the last 10 years, including several cases of weapons-grade enrichment. Criminals associated with these attempts have been detained," the Georgian president told the summit. "The most recent case of illicit trafficking was the attempted sale of highly enriched uranium in March of this year."
