On October 25, Lasha Maghradze, the First Deputy Chief of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), announced the arrest of three Chinese citizens in Tbilisi for attempting to illegally purchase two kilograms of uranium. During the briefing, Maghradze stated that the suspects had planned to buy the radioactive material for USD 400,000 and transport it to China through the territory of the Russian Federation. He explained that one of the Chinese nationals, who had been residing in Georgia illegally, invited "experts interested in purchasing uranium" to the country and actively searched for sources of the substance across Georgia.

According to Maghradze, other members of the group coordinated their activities from China. The suspects were detained during negotiations over the illegal transaction, while law enforcement officers conducted searches of their apartments in Tbilisi and Batumi. The investigation was being carried out under Article 230 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns the illegal purchase of radioactive materials and prescribes a punishment of up to ten years in prison.