Navoiyuran and NMMC employees convicted for attempting to illegally sell uranium

Several people involved in the attempt to sell the uranium have been criminally prosecuted. Among them are employees of Navoiyuran and the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company (NMMC).

According to the court verdict, J.I., who worked as a locksmith at the “Sobirsoy” geotechnological mine under Navoiyuran, conspired in September 2024 with an individual (whose case has been separated for individual proceedings) to sell the radioactive substance for illegal profit. J.I. received 120 grams of uranium from this person and passed it on to O.M. to show it to potential buyers.

O.M. then asked F.S. to find a buyer for the 120 grams of uranium. In turn, F.S. contacted F.T. and N.U. and agreed to work together to sell the radioactive substance. Through these intermediaries, they found two potential buyers – Z.K. through F.T., and A.K. through N.U. – and offered the uranium at $2,000 per gram.

However, A.K., aware that selling radioactive materials was illegal, filed a complaint with law enforcement authorities. On 9 October 2024, at approximately 12:30 p.m., F.S. and N.U. handed over 67 grams of uranium to A.K. in Karmana district for verification purposes. A.K. voluntarily submitted the material to officers of the Navoi City Police Department.

Z.K., another supposed buyer, also reported the case to law enforcement. Based on Z.K.’s statement, a special operation was conducted in Navoi on 9 October 2024, during which F.S. and F.T. were apprehended while attempting to sell 53 grams of uranium – obtained from O.M. – for $100,700.

The following day, on 10 October 2024, the operation continued, and J.I. was detained while receiving his $40,000 share.

On 14 April 2025, the Navoi City Criminal Court found J.I. and N.U. – the latter of whom worked as a locksmith at NMMC’s “Amento Amantau” mine – guilty under Article 252, Part 2(b) of the Criminal Code (illegal possession of radioactive materials). J.I. was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison and banned from working within the Navoiyuran system for two years under Article 57 of the Criminal Code. N.U. received a prison sentence of 2.5 years.

O.M., F.S., and F.T. were also convicted and sentenced under the same verdict.

On 24 July 2025, the judicial panel of the Navoi Regional Criminal Court of Appeals upheld the original verdict without changes.