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Islamabad: Experts have said that India\u2019s long record of nuclear material thefts, smuggling, and espionage from 1994 to 2025 exposes the country as a major nuclear security risk in South Asia and beyond. They said the alarming frequency of such incidents highlights the weakness of India\u2019s regulatory framework and the complicity of insiders at its sensitive facilities.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, the experts, while commenting on the rising number of such incidents in India, said that over 25 cases of nuclear material theft and loss \u2014 totaling more than 200 kilograms of uranium and other fissile elements \u2014 have been documented across the country during the past three decades. They cited incidents involving uranium and Californium thefts, reactor poisonings, and smuggling attempts carried out with the involvement of criminal syndicates and employees of Indian nuclear facilities. \u201cSuch breaches reveal systemic negligence and the alarming possibility of India\u2019s fissile materials reaching international black markets,\u201d they deplored.<\/p>\n
The experts said the recent arrest of a Jharkhand resident in October 2025 \u2014 portrayed by Indian media as part of an espionage network linked to Pakistan, Iran, and Russia \u2014 shows how New Delhi politicizes security failures to stigmatize minorities and divert attention from its internal lapses, particularly ahead of elections or FATF reviews.<\/p>\n
They pointed out that repeated thefts and espionage cases involving India\u2019s own nuclear institutions, such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), highlight gross mismanagement, weak supervision, and a lack of international accountability. \u201cIndia\u2019s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) lacks autonomy and sufficient security mechanisms, posing grave proliferation risks,\u201d they noted, urging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations to initiate an independent investigation.<\/p>\n
The experts observed that while India accuses other countries of nuclear espionage, it continues to import oil from sanctioned states and align itself with Western powers, using fabricated narratives to malign Pakistan and its Muslim citizens. They said India\u2019s chronic nuclear insecurity stands in stark contrast to Pakistan\u2019s internationally recognized, robust safeguards and responsible nuclear management.<\/p>\n
The experts warned that India\u2019s unchecked nuclear thefts and politicized misuse of espionage claims threaten not only regional peace but also global nuclear stability. They urged the international community to hold New Delhi accountable and ensure transparent international monitoring of its nuclear facilities to prevent proliferation or potential nuclear terrorism incidents.<\/p>\n
Here is a comprehensive list of Indian nuclear and radio active material theft cases:
\n\u2022 1994: Meghalaya police seized 2.5 kg of uranium from smugglers in Domiasiat region.
\n\u2022 1998: West Bengal police arrested an opposition politician carrying over 100 kg of uranium; CBI uncovered a theft racket in Tamil Nadu with 8+ kg seized.
\n\u2022 2001: Arrests of men with 200 grams of semi-processed uranium in West Bengal.
\n\u2022 2003: Jihad group caught with 225 grams of milled uranium near Bangladesh border, planning to use as explosive.
\n\u2022 2006: Radioactive container stolen from research facility in Eastern India.
\n\u2022 2008: 4 kg uranium seized near Indo-Nepal border; arrests in Meghalaya for uranium smuggling.
\n\u2022 2009: Nuclear reactor employee poisoned colleagues with radioactive isotopes in Maharashtra.
\n\u2022 2013: Leftist guerillas caught with uranium ore strapped to bombs.
\n\u2022 2016: 9 kg depleted uranium seized in Thane, Maharashtra.
\n\u2022 2018: 1 kg uranium smuggling racket busted in Kolkata.
\n\u2022 2021: Several incidents including 7.1 kg natural uranium seized in Maharashtra; 6.4 kg seized in June 2021.
\n\u2022 2022: 2.5 kg uranium smuggled via Nepal intercepted; multiple arrests.
\n\u2022 2024: August, 50 grams Californium (highly radioactive) seized in Bihar; radioactive seal theft from BARC recovered.
\n\u2022 2025: October, arrest of Mohammad Adil Hussaini in Delhi exposing espionage nexus falsely involving Pakistan\u2019s ISI, Iran, and Russia with forged BARC scientist identities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad: Experts have said that India\u2019s long record of nuclear material thefts, smuggling, and espionage from 1994 to 2025 exposes the country as a major nuclear security risk in South Asia and beyond. They said the alarming frequency of such incidents highlights the weakness of India\u2019s regulatory framework and the complicity of insiders at its …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":186818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-186817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-special-reports","tag-top-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/10\/1-9-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186819,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186817\/revisions\/186819"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}