Georgian authorities have arrested three Chinese citizens on suspicion of illegally attempting to purchase two kilograms of uranium, according to the country’s State Security Service (SSG).
Security footage released by the SSG shows armed officers intercepting a vehicle and detaining the three men. Inside the car’s trunk, investigators found two glass jars containing a yellow substance, which laboratory tests later confirmed to be uranium.
Officials have not yet disclosed which uranium isotope the suspects sought to purchase, though all isotopes can emit harmful levels of radiation.
Lasha Maghradze, deputy director of the SSG, told reporters that the arrested men had planned to pay $400,000 in Tbilisi before transporting the uranium through Russia to China.
“The suspected plot was uncovered by intelligence officers as one member of the group attempted to buy the radioactive substance on the black market,” Maghradze said, adding that the operation was coordinated by associates in China.
According to Georgia Today, the three Chinese suspects pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in Tbilisi and have been placed in pretrial detention. They face up to five years in prison under Georgia’s penal code, which prohibits the purchase or trade of nuclear materials.
This is not the first case of nuclear smuggling in Georgia. In July 2025, authorities arrested a Georgian and a Turkish national accused of trying to sell uranium valued at $3 million.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia was left with residual stocks of nuclear materials, and their security has remained a persistent concern for international watchdogs.
