Gopalganj (Bihar): Bihar police arrested three persons and seized 50 grams of the radioactive substance Californium, valued at Rs 850 crore, at the Balthri checkpost in the Kuchaykot police station area of Gopalganj, officials said on Friday.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Swarn Prabhat said, "Acting on a tip-off regarding the smuggling of a valuable substance, a team from the Kuchaykot police station swiftly conducted a raid, resulting in the seizure of the Californium and the arrest of three suspects, including a smuggler and his two associates."
"The price of one gram of Californium is reported to be around Rs 17 crore, making the 50 grams seized worth approximately Rs 850 crore. Californium is used in nuclear reactors to produce nuclear power and is also employed in the treatment of serious diseases like brain cancer," the SP said.
The accused have been identified as Chhote Lal Prasad (40), Chandan Gupta (40), and Chandan Ram (28). The police are coordinating with the Department of Atomic Energy for further investigation, and a special team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) will examine the substance. The suspects are currently being interrogated, the SP added.
Prabhat also mentioned that the substance was reportedly tested in labs, including IIT Madras and the Nuclear Power Company of Pondicherry. When contacted, IIT Madras professor S Mohan stated that the certificate found with the smuggler was fake. Police have also reached out to Pondicherry Police for assistance in the investigation.
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