Patna, Feb. 19: Four kilograms of low-grade uranium were seized and six people were arrested today for their alleged involvement in the illegal trade.

The gang of six, believed to be a part of an international gang of smugglers, also included two government officials. The men were arrested from Birpur village in north Bihar’s Supaul district, on the Indo-Nepal boarder, some 300km from here.

The value of the seized uranium is estimated to be around Rs 23 crore in international market.

The arrested include a Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) jawan, Tej Bahadur, a government schoolteacher from Bihar and three others hailing from Nepal.

The police chief of Supaul, Shyam Kumar, said the arrest was made possible due to a trap laid by the police at Supaul bus stand. The force were acting on a tip-off.

The uranium was seized and the arrests were made while the smugglers were on their way to Nepal via the national highway. Some police personnel posed as “buyers” reached Birpur before the smugglers did. Fortunately, the trap was well laid and the smugglers were caught.

Saupaul superintendent of police Shyam Kumar said the police have been interrogating those arrested to find out who have been buying the materials in India and abroad — especially in Nepal.

Rebel activities have been on the rise on the Indo-Nepal border for the past few years.

The police have been especially agitated because uranium is used to make bombs, explosives and weapons of destruction.