Officials announced yesterday that a rare "radioactive" element found in possession of smuggling suspects in the capital Ankara was actually an organic sodium-based material.

Turkish media reported on Monday that 1.4 kilos of Californium was found in a police raid on a car carrying suspected smugglers. A rare and dangerous non-natural element, the report of its finding and its source raised concerns in a country on alert against terror attacks. State-run Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) officials examined the matter and concluded that it was actually "polysodium styrenesulfonate" or "resin" as it is commonly known. They ruled out any radioactive features of the matter found stored in small tubes.

Suspects were a gang of smugglers under surveillance by security forces when they were caught in the Pursaklar district of Ankara. Media reports say they planned to sell the material for some $70 million.