Stealing uranium is ‘pointless’: Rossing

STEALING uranium is a “waste of time, dangerous and pointless”, says Rio Tinto Roessing Uranium Limited’s Manager of External Affairs, Jerome Mutumba.

He was responding to questions about the recent arrest at Gobabis of four men in possession of about three kg of suspected uranium oxide and two litres of suspected yellowcake uranium. Roessing sent two of its specialists to Gobabis in August to assist the Police in handling the suspected radioactive material, and to help determine where the material was from.”We don’t know anything yet.Although the material did look like processed uranium, it is still being tested,” said Mutumba.He said prospective uranium thieves were “under the wrong impression” when it came to uranium’s value and the process needed to harness its energy, be it for electricity production or the development of nuclear weapons.”There are processes and negotiations with our clients that are a norm in the industry.”I believe it is important that people understand that, even though the price for uranium is good now, stealing a little is useless – it means nothing – and you’re not going to make money, unless you’re able to swindle a gullible buyer,” Mutumba said.He explained that uranium theft would only be “a little profitable” if the thieves managed to smuggle several large containers of processed uranium out of a mine and then sold it to a “compatible customer”.”But the chances of a person smuggling several large containers from secured mine grounds are less than zero,” Mutumba said.”If you don’t have the rights to take the material out, and are found out, you’ll be in big trouble.”He warned that there were no advantages whatsoever in stealing or dealing with small amounts of processed uranium.”You’ll run the very high risk of being caught and thrown in jail, and you’ll be endangering your life and the lives of others because of the potential radioactivity.That all for nothing, because what’s been stolen is worth nothing,” he said.Charles Kamahulu, Hosean Menasse, Martin Karengee and Lembeus Jacob appeared in the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court in August on charges of illegal dealing in and possession of minerals with a high value, and were released on bail of N$10 000 each.Roessing sent two of its specialists to Gobabis in August to assist the Police in handling the suspected radioactive material, and to help determine where the material was from.”We don’t know anything yet.Although the material did look like processed uranium, it is still being tested,” said Mutumba.He said prospective uranium thieves were “under the wrong impression” when it came to uranium’s value and the process needed to harness its energy, be it for electricity production or the development of nuclear weapons.”There are processes and negotiations with our clients that are a norm in the industry.”I believe it is important that people understand that, even though the price for uranium is good now, stealing a little is useless – it means nothing – and you’re not going to make money, unless you’re able to swindle a gullible buyer,” Mutumba said.He explained that uranium theft would only be “a little profitable” if the thieves managed to smuggle several large containers of processed uranium out of a mine and then sold it to a “compatible customer”.”But the chances of a person smuggling several large containers from secured mine grounds are less than zero,” Mutumba said.”If you don’t have the rights to take the material out, and are found out, you’ll be in big trouble.”He warned that there were no advantages whatsoever in stealing or dealing with small amounts of processed uranium.”You’ll run the very high risk of being caught and thrown in jail, and you’ll be endangering your life and the lives of others because of the potential radioactivity.That all for nothing, because what’s been stolen is worth nothing,” he said.Charles Kamahulu, Hosean Menasse, Martin Karengee and Lembeus Jacob appeared in the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court in August on charges of illegal dealing in and possession of minerals with a high value, and were released on bail of N$10 000 each.