Archive · 5 Nov 2025
Mumbai Man Posed as BARC Scientist, Tried to Sell Nuclear Designs to Iran
Imagine a man pretending to be a super-smart scientist from a special nuclear research center.
He and his brother tried to trick companies in Iran by saying they had a secret plan for a special kind of nuclear reactor.
They used fancy words to sound convincing and even visited Iran and its embassies.
They even tricked a diplomat by showing him fake blueprints.
The police found fake IDs and lots of other fake documents on them.
Experts say the plans were just ideas and wouldn't actually work.
These brothers have been getting money from foreign sources for a long time, possibly for sharing secret information.
A man posing as a BARC scientist was arrested for attempting to sell a purported nuclear reactor design to Iranian firms.
The accused, Akhtar Hussaini Qutbuddin Ahmed, and his brother Adil Hussaini, claimed to have developed a lithium-6 fusion reactor prototype.
They allegedly used VPNs and encrypted networks to communicate and duped an Iranian diplomat with fake details and blueprints.
Experts stated the claimed reactor prototype was theoretical with no evidence of operation, and lithium-7 is unsuitable for fusion.
Police seized fake passports, identity cards, maps, and data related to nuclear weapons, and noted the brothers received substantial foreign funding since 1995.
- Who
- Akhtar Hussaini Qutbuddin Ahmed and his brother Adil Hussaini
- What
- Posed as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientists and attempted to sell a purported nuclear reactor design to Iranian companies.
- When
- Visited Tehran around March and April; foreign funding received since 1995.
- Where
- Mumbai, India; Tehran, Iran; Dubai
- Why
- To obtain financial gain through fraudulent 'scientific collaboration' and 'research partnership'.
Accused's Claims
Experts' Assessment
Fusion Reactor Prototype
Accused's Claims
Claimed to have developed and tested a lithium-6-based fusion reactor prototype for controlling plasma temperatures.
Experts' Assessment
The prototype was theoretical, with no scientific evidence of its operation.
Lithium-7 Reactor
Accused's Claims
Claimed to have tested a lithium-7 reactor but it failed due to plasma heating issues.
Experts' Assessment
Lithium-7 is unsuitable for fusion.
- Accused 1
- Akhtar Hussaini Qutbuddin Ahmed (60)
- Accused 2
- Adil Hussaini (59)
- Alleged Activity
- Posing as BARC scientist, attempting to sell nuclear designs to Iranian firms.
- Method of Contact
- VPNs and encrypted networks
- Suspected Motive
- Financial gain through fraudulent scientific collaboration.
- Seized Items
- Fake passports, Aadhaar and PAN cards, fake BARC IDs, maps, purported nuclear weapon data.
- Foreign Funding
- Received foreign funding from 1995 onwards, increasing from lakhs to crores after 2000.