Yellow Uranium Cake Police in Japan are studying how a man has been able to sell uranium through an online auction site run by Yahoo !, a California-based Internet service provider.
The Japanese news agencies reported on Friday that the alleged product was displayed in a transparent glass tube on the online auction site. It was advertised as "Uranium 99,9%". No information on the starting price of the sale on Yahoo! Auctions. The website, Yahoo! Kantan Kessai is a rare remnant of the California-based company's worldwide auction service, which has closed its operations in most of the countries between the 2002 and 2008.
In November 2017, Japan's nuclear regulatory authority was informed by a user that a product described as "99,9% uranium" was on offer on the auction website. After examining the case, the agency notified the police in January of the following year, which in turn contacted Yahoo! and brought the auction to his attention. The incident was not disclosed to the media at that time, so that the police and intelligence services could investigate whether a network of people was involved in the case.
Meanwhile, the seller and several people who had made offers on the product were arrested and questioned. The substance was confiscated and delivered to the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency for testing. According to local media reports, initial tests conducted by the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency have shown that the substance is actually radioactive. Further tests have shown that it is actually uranium, as advertised even if there is no confirmation that it is enriched or depleted uranium.
According to the report, it appears that the main suspect reported to the authorities that he bought uranium from a seller located outside of Japan, who sold it on an international auction website. Reports suggest that depending on the outcome of the current laboratory results, the seller of the substance risks imprisonment up to a year and a fine of up to ¥ 1 million (less than $ 10.000).