Trace amounts of radioactive material, specifically Uranium, has been found in luggage at Heathrow Airport earlier this morning, inviting concerns about construction of a possible dirty bomb on UK soil.
Border Force alerted the Metropolitan Police’s counter terrorism unit in the early hours of this morning (11 January) due to small amounts of Uranium being detected as a shipment of scrap metal entered the airport from a flight out of Oman, but originating in Pakistan.
Head of Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command, Commander Richard Smith, was quick to quell fears that this material would be used in the construction of a dirty bomb by terrorist cells on UK soil. “I want to reassure the public that the amount of contaminated material was extremely small and has been assessed by experts as posing no threat to the public.
“Although our investigation remains ongoing, from our inquiries so far, it does not appear to be linked to any direct threat. As the public would expect, however, we will continue to follow up on all available lines of inquiry to ensure this is definitely the case.
“However, it does highlight the excellent capability we and our partners have in place to monitor our ports and borders in order to keep the public safe from any potential threats to their safety and security that might be coming to the UK.”
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