Georgia has arrested two men on suspicion of attempting to illegally sell enriched uranium, authorities in the Caucasian country have said.

Counterintelligence and special operations services detained a Georgian citizen and a foreign national while they were attempting to sell radioactive uranium that "could be used to manufacture explosive devices or carry out terrorist attacks," security services said.

The two men were asking for $3 million for the uranium when they were arrested in the Black Sea city of Batumi, AFP reported.

The "nuclear material," described as a "radioactive chemical element emitting alpha and gamma rays," has the potential to cause mass casualties if used in weapons.

The plot was "discovered and neutralized at an early stage."

The suspects face up to 10 years in prison for illegal handling of nuclear material.

For years, there have been concerns that extremist groups could obtain unprotected radioactive materials from countries of the former Soviet Union.

Georgia and neighboring Armenia, both former Soviet republics, have reported numerous cases of people attempting to sell radioactive substances, including attempts to smuggle uranium for weapons. | BGNES