Turkish police seize radioactive material in Ankara raid

Californium is only produced by the US and Russia.

MARCH 19, 2018 20:03

Updated: MARCH 19, 2018 20:06

A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, August 5, 2016 (photo credit: REUTERS) — A Turkish special forces police officer guards the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, August 5, 2016

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Police arrested four men in possession of a rare nuclear substance in its capital Ankara on Monday, according to Turkish broadcaster NTV, The Daily Sabah reports.

The radioactive material in question, Californium, is worth $4 million per gram and is used mainly for nuclear warheads, nuclear energy plants and in the oil and mining industries.

Turkish police captured 1kg 441 gram Californium-252 that worths more than 70 million dollar in Ankara, a very expensive radioactive element used in #nuclear fusion. pic.twitter.com/Rquf1yLdlP
— Cemal (@Acemal71) March 19, 2018

Californium is only produced by the US and Russia.

The four suspects, believed to be part of a larger criminal organization, reportedly intended to sell 1.4 kg of the material on the black market for $72 million.

The seized radioactive material was taken to the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, the Turkish pro-government Daily Sabah reports.

There was no comment from the Turkish Atomic Agency Authority or the police.