HEFTY $240 fine for selling radioactive material

[vass0922]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,89312,00.html

Officers arrested Narong Penanam, 44, in the parking lot of a Bangkok (search) hotel after he offered to sell agents a metal container that he said contained uranium, police Col. Pisit Pisutisak said. Narong expected to be paid $240,000.

An analysis of the material by the Office of the Atomic Energy for Peace later revealed it was not uranium but cesium-137, which has a number of medical and industrial applications and can used in a bomb designed to spread radioactive material over a wide area.

Narong was charged with illegal possession of nuclear materials, punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of $240.

Pisit said Narong told authorities he got the container from neighboring Laos (search) and claimed his sources have more.

The investigation was initiated by the U.S. Customs Service, whose agents were present during the arrest, said a U.S. Embassy spokesman, on customary condition of anonymity.

WOW one year and 240 bucks... ohhh I bet he never does that again! You bad boy! Now GO TO YOUR ROOM!

[Mike]

I wouldn't want to spend one year in prison...