A message included in envelopes containing small amounts of a radioactive substance mailed earlier last week to government offices alleged that an Education Ministry foundation is smuggling uranium to North Korea, police sources said Tuesday.
The envelopes, postmarked in Tokyo and containing radioactive powder believed to be monazite, were mailed to 10 government offices, including Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's Official Residence, the sources said.
During questioning by police, the president of the foundation, which is based in Tokyo's Taito Ward, admitted storing a large amount of monazite in the Kanto region, including Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, and Tatsuno, Nagano Prefecture, the sources said.