Four arrested for possessing 2.5 kg of unprocessed uranium in Nepal

Four Nepalese men were arrested here on Saturday for possession of 2.5 kg of unprocessed uranium, police said.

A house in Boudha area was raided, based on a tip-off, and four persons were found hiding 2.5 kg of Uranium 238, officials said at a press briefing.

This is perhaps the first time that arrests have been made in connection to uranium smuggling, they said.

The arrested -- two aged 20 years and two aged 40 years -- will be charged under the Explosives Act.

Uranium 238 is a natural occurring metal. Its enriched form can be used to generate electricity and in nuclear weapons. Processed uranium costs about USD 150 million per kilogram.