A 16-year-old Japanese boy is being investigated for dealing uranium online and even processing uranium ore into yellowcake. However, he was likely not a terrorist but rather a “chemistry geek” fascinated by the challenge, according to one security analyst.
Kyodo news agency on Wednesday reported the high school student – who was initially referred to prosecutors on Monday on charges of violating the gunpowder control law by creating 2.4 grams of the explosive penthrite at his home last year – traded uranium online. The boy, who has not been identified as he is a minor, initially came to the attention of the authorities in November 2017 as a result of an advertisement on a Yahoo online auction website for “Uranium 99.9 per cent”.
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