PATNA: The Bihar police on Friday seized 50 grams of rare Californium stone, a radioactive substance, worth around Rs 850 crore in the international market, in Gopalganj district.Such a haul of seizure of rare substance has been made for the first time in the state in recent past. Three people including one from neighbouring Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh were arrested with the radioactive substance from Balthari check post under Kuchaikote police station limits in the district. Sources said that the consignment of radioactive substance was reportedly coming from Gujarat before it was intercepted at the check post. Alarmed over the recovery of the rare stone ‘Californium’, police have sought cooperation from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for carrying out a thorough investigation. Bihar Police`s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) is also reaching Gopalganj to assist district police its investigation. While confirming the seizure, Gopalganj SP Swarn Prabhat said that a joint team of police personnel from Kuchaikote police station, district intelligence unit (DIU), special operations group-7 (SOG-7), and the special task force (STF) seized the radioactive substance at Balthari check post on Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border on Thursday evening. He said that the seizure was made following a specific intelligence input. The suspects were travelling on a motorcycle with four mobile phones and 50 gram Californium were seized from their possession. Californium is a highly expensive radioactive substance with each gram reportedly valued at around Rs 17 crore in the international market, making the total value of the 50 gram stone approximately 850 crore. SP said that the accused had been identified as Chhote Lal Prasad (40), a resident of Parsauni Buzurg village, located in the Tamkuhi Raj police station area of Kushinagar district, Uttar Pradesh; Chandan Gupta (40), a resident of Kaushalya Chowk, ward number 22 under Nagar police station limits in Gopalganj; and Chandan Ram, a resident of Kushahar Mathia in Gopalganj. According to the SP, the smuggler had been attempting to sell the valuable substance for several months. A special team from the Forensic Science Laboratory has been called in to handle the substance and to conduct further investigations. The accused were also carrying a test report of the substance. The report indicates that there is existing scientific evidence regarding the nature of the substance, which will likely be crucial in the ongoing investigation.
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