It is unclear whether the package was intended for a dirty bomb or a pile of scraps
Counter-terrorism police are investigating the arrival of a consignment contaminated with uranium at London’s Heathrow Airport. The incident caused a wave of alarm in the British media.
News of the intercept – which took place on December 29 – was first reported by Sun, a British tabloid. Draw discovery like a failure “nuclear conspiracy,” The newspaper announced on Tuesday that “Deadly Shipment” originated in Pakistan and was sent via Oman to an Iranian citizen in the UK.
However, the London Metropolitan Police told reporters that “a very small amount of contaminated material” was identified by Border Force officers during a routine inspection, prompting a counterterrorism investigation.
Commander Richard Smith of the Met’s counter-terrorism division said that the package “doesn’t appear to be linked to any direct threat,” and “has been assessed by experts to pose no threat to the public.”
Citing anonymous sources, the BBC reports that uranium was found in a shipment of scrap metal and it may have ended up there due to “poor handling.”
The Sun report caused a media frenzy in the UK. The Sun quoted a former nuclear defense commander as saying that the material could have been “used in a dirty bomb,” and another one “former army commander” as saying it may have been intended for use in a “assassination plot.” Daily Mail claims that investigators are monitoring “dirty bomb” angle, while the Daily Express describes the incident as “dry run” for an actual bombing plot, citing an alleged security expert.
There is no evidence for any of these claims, and Smith said the incident demonstrated that the screening process at Heathrow worked exactly as it should.
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