ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Experts have said that India’s 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’s regulatory framework and the complicity of insiders at its sensitive facilities.
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 — totaling more than 200 kilograms of uranium and other fissile elements — 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.
“Such breaches reveal systemic negligence and the alarming possibility of India’s fissile materials reaching international black markets,” they deplored.
The experts said the recent arrest of a Jharkhand resident in October 2025 — portrayed by Indian media as part of an espionage network linked to Pakistan, Iran, and Russia — shows how New Delhi politicizes security failures to stigmatize minorities and divert attention from its internal lapses, particularly ahead of elections or FATF reviews.
They pointed out that repeated thefts and espionage cases involving India’s own nuclear institutions, such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), highlight gross mismanagement, weak supervision, and a lack of international accountability.
“India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) lacks autonomy and sufficient security mechanisms, posing grave proliferation risks,” they noted, urging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations to initiate an independent investigation.
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’s chronic nuclear insecurity stands in stark contrast to Pakistan’s internationally recognized, robust safeguards and responsible nuclear management.
The experts warned that India’s 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.
Indian nuclear and radio-active material theft cases
1994: Meghalaya police seized 2.5 kg of uranium from smugglers in Domiasiat region
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
2001: Arrests of men with 200 grams of semi-processed uranium in West Bengal
2003: Jihad group caught with 225 grams of milled uranium near Bangladesh border, planning to use as explosive
2006: Radioactive container stolen from research facility in Eastern India
2008: 4 kg uranium seized near Indo-Nepal border; arrests in Meghalaya for uranium smuggling
2009: Nuclear reactor employee poisoned colleagues with radioactive isotopes in Maharashtra
2013: Leftist guerillas caught with uranium ore strapped to bombs
2016: 9 kg depleted uranium seized in Thane, Maharashtra
2018: 1 kg uranium smuggling racket busted in Kolkata
2021: Several incidents including 7.1 kg natural uranium seized in Maharashtra; 6.4 kg seized in June 2021
2022: 2.5 kg uranium smuggled via Nepal intercepted; multiple arrests
2024: August, 50 grams Californium (highly radioactive) seized in Bihar; radioactive seal theft from BARC recovered
2025: October, arrest of Mohammad Adil Hussaini in Delhi exposing espionage nexus falsely involving Pakistan’s ISI, Iran, and Russia with forged BARC scientist identities.
