Concern about the use of radioactive materials for nuclear bombs or dirty bombs has caused nations who fear they may be targets to take steps to prevent the smuggling of radioactive materials across their borders. The United Kingdom is spending funds to enhance their ability to detect radioactive materials inside the U.K.
The U.K. Border Force has a special program called the Cyclamen monitoring system for the detection of attempts to smuggle radioactive materials into the U.K. at ports and airports. During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, similar equipment was used to protect Olympic park.
The Home Office intends to buy as many as ten mobile gamma and neutron radiation detection systems to increase their ability to prevent terrorist attacks employing radioactive materials. This new fleet of vehicles will be able to search for radioactive materials inland and can be deployed quickly to any location as required.
The U.K. authorities do not believe that such radiological attacks are very likely but in 2006, Russian agents were accused of smuggling polonium 210. This chemical is highly radioactive and was used to fatally poison Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent who was living in London.
The U.K. government developed its first counter-terrorism strategy statement which it called CONTEST in 2003. The strategy was released to the public in 2006. Subsequently, further revisions were made in 2009, 2011, and, most recently, in 2018.
The strategy confirms the government’s commitment to improve defense capabilities with new technologies to “enhance our detection and screening capabilities, for example at borders, airports and crowded places”. The report emphasized need for cutting edge detection systems that “can be flexibly deployed in a range of environments.” And added, “We will deliver this through investment in modern systems, informed by the latest science and technology research and international collaboration.”
Last month, the Home Office issued a procurement notice that invited bids for from five to ten “modern vehicle-based gamma and neutron radiation detection systems for various national security and radiological and nuclear counter-terrorism activities.”
The procurement document for the new mobile detection systems said, “This procurement activity commitment to continue to strengthen the UK’s existing radiological and nuclear detection capabilities. It does not relate to chemical or biological materials. This particular activity is not in response to a specific threat. The use of radiological or nuclear materials in an attack by terrorists remains significantly less likely than a conventional or chemical attack.”
In 2011, there were one hundred and forty-seven reports of incidents involving radioactive material that were “outside of state control.” In 2016, there were one hundred and eighty-nine such reports. While these reports include illegally smuggled materials, they also include contaminated scrap metal.
While contaminated scrap metal could constitute a health threat if mishandled, the discovery of illegal materials that had been smuggled into the U.K. is certainly problematic. It is difficult to find the number of illegal radioactive materials relative to the total number of incidents reported but even a few is cause for great concern and a justification for the purchase of the new mobile detection systems.