Japanese teen who traded uranium online and even processed it into yellowcake was just a ‘chemistry geek’, analyst says
- A vast amount of uranium ore is required to make even a tiny amount of fissile material, while the radioactivity in yellowcake uranium is still extremely low
A 16-year-old Japanese boy is being investigated for dealing uranium online and even processing uranium ore into yellowcake. However, he was likely not a terrorist but rather a “chemistry geek” fascinated by the challenge, according to one security analyst.
Kyodo news agency on Wednesday reported the high school student – who was initially referred to prosecutors on Monday on charges of violating the gunpowder control law by creating 2.4 grams of the explosive penthrite at his home last year – traded uranium online. The boy, who has not been identified as he is a minor, initially came to the attention of the authorities in November 2017 as a result of an advertisement on a Yahoo online auction website for “Uranium 99.9 per cent”.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority notified the police of the advert in January 2018 and the youth was being questioned on a voluntary basis before his arrest. Several people that he communicated with regarding the transaction have also been questioned, along with others who bid for similar material.
To be honest, you would simply not believe what chemistry geeks will do
Investigators have not revealed whether the uranium ore was bought from a source within Japan or from abroad.
Authorities believe the boy obtained uranium ore on more than one occasion and was successful in processing some of it into yellowcake, the concentrated powder that is the precursor state before uranium is fabricated for fuel or enriched to be used in a weapon. The youth subsequently advertised the yellowcake for sale online.
However, Lance Gatling, a security and weapons analyst and founder of Tokyo-based Gatling Associates, insisted the boy’s intentions were benign, and borne of curiosity rather than any desire to cause harm.
“This is not a case of terrorism, even of the home-grown variety,” he said. “To be honest, you would simply not believe what chemistry geeks will do ... [There are] probably a few dozen guys who have tried to fabricate sarin gas in their bathrooms.”