Tonoyan first demanded more than $8 million for 120 grams of uranium
The Armenian, investigators learned, was Sumbat Tonoyan. Once a dairy factory owner, he had lost a fortune gambling and turned to smuggling. Authorities had photos of him taken at border crossings on trips to Turkey.
An undercover agent contacted Tonoyan about the nuclear material, saying only he was from "a significant organization." In a meeting in Tbilisi, Tonoyan wanted more information but was told: "It is not your business. I am not asking you your name, please don't ask mine. If you want to do business, let's do business."
Tonoyan first demanded more than $8 million for 120 grams of uranium — a fraction of
sponsored the amount needed for a bomb. He did not specify the enrichment level. Uranium has to be highly enriched to be used in a nuclear weapon.
