Abstract Number:  20070180
Headline:  Two Belarus Residents Detained in Lithuania on Suspicion of Smuggling Radioactive Cargo
Date:  22 April 2007
Orig. Src.:  "Review of Incidents Involving Radioactive Materials in the NIS," International Export Control Observer, Issue 11, June/July 2007 
Material:  Uranium (natural and form unidentified), Scam

Abstract:

According to reports that surfaced in Lithuanian and Belarusian media in late April 2007, two Belarus nationals were detained at the Lithuania-Belarus border on 22 April on suspicion that they attempted to smuggle radioactive cargo from Lithuania. The arrest was reportedly the result of a longstanding joint operation between Belaruss Main Directorate for the Fight Against Organized Crime and Corruption under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Lithuanian Bureau of Criminal Police, with support from the border services of both countries. During the inspection of the suspects' car, law enforcement officials discovered a metal container labeled in Russian Uranium-238, 1991. The container was then sent to the Lithuanian Center for Radiation Safety for an examination, while the two suspects were placed under arrest in Lithuania.[1,2,3]

However, a week later, citing the examination results, the media reported that the container was empty and posed no danger. It is unclear from available sources whether the incident constitutes a mistake made by law enforcement agencies of the two countries or if it was an attempt by smugglers to test the vigilance of Lithuanian and Belarusian border authorities.[4]

In November 2007, press reports indicated that one of the individuals, 39-year old Evegeniy Titarenko, had denied any intent to sell Uranium-238. Titarenko, the owner of the vehicle detained in the April sting operation, argued that he wanted to profit from selling the empty container, which he had purchased from a friend in 1991. Titarenko's case was reportedly being taken up by a district court in Vilnius, Lithuania. [5]

Sources:

[1] "Belorusy pytalis perevezti cherez litovskuyu granitsu uran" (Belarus residents tried to smuggle uranium through Lithuania border), Km.Ru, 26 April  2007, http://www.km.ru.
[2] "V Litve zaderzhany dvoye belorusov za popytku kontrabandy urana" (Two Belarus residents detained in Lithuania for an attempt to uranium smuggling), AFN, 25 April 2007, http://www.afn.by.
[3] "Podozrevayemyye v kontrabande urana byli zaderzhany na belorusskolitovskoy granitse" (Suspected in uranium smuggling were detained on Belarus-Lithuania border), Telegraph, 25 April 2007, http://www.telegraf.by.
[4] "Uran okazalsya lipovym" (Uranium was proven to be fake), Novoye Russkoye Slovo online edition, 30 April 2007, http://www.nrs.ru. {Entered 09/11/07 AL}
[5] "Grazhdanin Belarusi pytalsya prodat mulyazh urana za 100 tys USD," AFN, 20 November 2007, http://www.afn.by. {Updated 09/23/08 AL}