Pakistan ‘concerned’ over nuclear material thefts in India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expressed “serious concerns” over recent incidents involving the theft and illicit sale of nuclear and radioactive materials in India on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, brought up these issues in response to reports of a gang in India being arrested with radioactive material.

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The spokesperson noted that in a recent incident, people were found with californium, a highly radioactive and toxic substance valued at $100 million.

This follows previous reports of Californium thefts in 2021 and the recent recovery of a stolen radioactive device from the Bhabha Atomic Research Center in Dehradun, India.

Baloch questioned the effectiveness of India’s measures to secure nuclear and radioactive materials.The repeated incidents suggest a black market for sensitive materials within the country.

The international community, Baloch stated, requires an explanation from Indian authorities regarding how such tightly controlled radioactive substances ended up in unauthorised hands.

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She called for a thorough investigation and stronger measures to prevent such incidents from occurring again.