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Georgia Arrests Three Chinese Nationals Over Alleged $400,000 Uranium Purchase Plot

The case reflects Georgia’s recurring nuclear‑material trafficking problems, with verification and prosecutions pending.

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A screengrab from a video published by Georgian authorities, which said on October 25, 2025 they had detained three Chinese nationals accused of attempting to illegally buy two kilograms of uranium.
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TBLISI, GEORGIA - APRIL 07: Police officers close the scene to vehicle traffic where 2 people were killed and 4 people were wounded in an explosion that occurred in an indoor shooting range of a gun market on Bochorma street in Tbilisi, Georgia on April 07, 2024. (Photo by Davit Kachkachishvili/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Georgia’s State Security Service says the suspects were detained in Tbilisi during negotiations to buy about 2 kilograms of uranium.
  • Officials report the group intended to move the radioactive material to China via Russia after a $400,000 transaction.
  • Authorities released detention footage and searched temporary residences in Tbilisi and Batumi as part of the operation.
  • One detainee allegedly overstayed a visa and brought in specialists to search for uranium, with others coordinating from China.
  • Investigators have opened a case carrying potential sentences of up to 10 years, and the grade and origin of the material have not been disclosed.