The Lucknow Police today claimed to have recovered 700 gm of what is suspected to be uranium from four youths in the city. The four carriers who have been arrested were identified as Sugreev Gupta, Bharat Bhushan, Devanand Pandey and Rajiv Mishra, all from Faizabad.

Given the seriousness of the recovery, Lucknow SSP B P Jogdand addressed the media in the evening. He said the police had conducted all possible tests to ascertain that the element recovered was indeed uranium. “We got the physical characteristics from the internet and what we have matches the description provided. However, the final verdict will be given by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre where it is being sent for further tests,” he said. The police trailed the four youths for a few days before nabbing them yesterday from the Kaiserbagh locality. The uranium wxas recovered from their possession. The police were yet to ascertain its price in the international market.

According to Jogdand, after learning of their presence in the state capital, a police team contacted the four, posing as possible customers. “A special cell constable, who speaks Russian, posed as a Moscow-based Indian nuclear research scholar and went to meet them. They handed over a sample of the element and we struck a deal for Rs 30 lakh. We arrested them with the entire consignment when they came to Kaiserbagh for delivery,” said Jogdand.

During interrogation, the four said the uranium was handed over to them by an international smuggler, Jagdish alias Jaggu, a native of Gonda district. “However, according to the youths, Jaggu lives somewhere in Nepal and the four used to work for him as carriers. On earlier occasions too, the youths have also supplied sealed packets, which they claimed contained weapons, to various people in Gonda, Faizabad and other districts,” the SSP said.