Georgia’s State Security Service said on 17 July it arrested two people for handling and attempting to sell uranium valued at about $3 million. Investigators described the radioactive material as potent enough to be used in an explosive device capable of causing mass casualties. A Georgian citizen and a Turkish national were detained in the Black Sea port of Batumi after counter-intelligence and special-operations officers intercepted the planned transaction. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Georgian suspect had illegally purchased and stored the uranium before trying to sell it to the Turkish buyer. Both men were charged with the illegal purchase, possession and disposal of radioactive substances and face sentences of up to 10 years if convicted. Officials declined to disclose the enrichment level of the uranium but released footage showing agents using radiation scanners to inspect a vehicle and vials of a white powdery substance. The security service called the operation a thwarting of a “transnational crime,” highlighting continued concerns over nuclear-material trafficking in the region. Georgia has reported several similar cases in recent years, including seizures of $2.8 million worth of uranium in 2019 and $203 million in 2016.