Radioactive material crosses US border

ISN SECURITY WATCH (Tuesday, 28 March: 13.10 CET) – According to a report released by a US governmental agency, undercover investigators smuggled enough radioactive material into the US late last year to make two so-called dirty bombs.

The report from the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) says that in December 2005, undercover congressional investigators bought a small amount of a radioactive material, which according to news reports was most likely cesium.

On 15 December, investigators posing as businessmen drove across the US border from Canada and Mexico, focusing specifically on checkpoints with detection devices. The exact locations of the checkpoints have not been released.

When the radioactive material triggered the alarms, the investigators were pulled over for questioning. They showed the border patrol agents forged copies of import licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The investigators had found a real image of the document on the internet and used it to make the fake one.

They also had purchased the radioactive material over the phone without being queried as to who they were or what their intent was.

Reuters quotes the GAO as saying the purchase was not questioned because suppliers are not obliged to inquire about the use of the material.

The news service also said that suppliers only ask for an NRC authorization document from buyers for the purchase of large amounts.

The NRC is challenging the assertion that the amount of radioactive material brought through was enough to pose a threat.

CNN quotes a senior US Senate subcommittee staff member as saying: "It's just an indictment of the system that it's easier to get radiological material than it is to get cold medicine."