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Radioactive Material Seized

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 29, 2007

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Police in Slovakia and Hungary arrested three people and seized 2.2 pounds of an unspecified but "dangerous" radioactive material the individuals were trying to sell for $1 million, Slovak authorities said Wednesday.

The Czech news agency CTK, citing unconfirmed reports, said the material seized by authorities was enriched uranium. Slovak police spokesman Martin Korch declined to comment on the report, saying that specialists were examining what he described only as "dangerous radioactive material."

Two of the individuals were arrested in eastern Slovakia, and the third was arrested in Hungary, Korch said. The individuals were not identified.

Eastern Slovakia's border with Ukraine is the European Union's easternmost frontier, and authorities have spent millions tightening security in the past few years. They fear terrorists or organized crime syndicates could smuggle weapons, explosives and other contraband into the EU.

Slovak and Hungarian police worked together on the case for several months, Korch said. He would not say how long the individuals were under surveillance, or detail how they were arrested and to whom they were trying to sell the material.

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