JOIN USThe Central Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested three persons trying to sell ‘Red Mercury,’ which is reportedly used in nuclear bombs. They were arrested from a park near Gandhinagar after the police approached them in the guise of customers.
According to the police, the arrested have been identified as Manigandan and Mohammed Haneef, both residents of Hosur and Nagaraja, a resident of Hoskote. The kingpin Jai Singh, also a resident of Hosur, is absconding.
The trio claimed that they procured the Red Mercury from the LTTE. The chemical was brought into the country by former LTTE cadres after their supremo Prabhakaran's death. They convinced the police in disguise that the chemical is in major demand globally. The policemen assured them that they would buy the chemical.
The accused believed that the customers would surely buy the chemical and showed them a few power point presentations and explained the uses of the chemical. The cops in disguise and the trio negotiated the deal for Rs 150 crore for eight pounds of Red Mercury.
The accused also offered to give a sample and asked the buyers to verify the material with experts and took an advance of Rs five lakh. They gave the sample of Red Mercury packed in a cylindrical block and directed them not to expose it to the sunlight as it would explode, added the police.
The sleuths revealed their identity and arrested the three immediately. They seized the aluminum cylinder and it was tested at an atomic mineral department. The report said that the cylinder emitted no radiation.
After which the material was cut open, and the police found only an aluminium block without any Red Mercury. The aluminium block, weighing 8.9 kg, which w as seized by the police, was only worth Rs 7,500.
A case has been registered in Upparpet police station and investigation is on to nab the kingpin.