Uranium | Pakistan
Uranium-tainted package originating from Pakistan seized at UK's Heathrow Airport, sparks bomb scare
London: A consignment containing several kilograms of uranium, which can be used to make bombs to inflict mass devastation, originating in Pakistan, was seized at UK’s Heathrow Airport, The Sun reported.
British tabloid The Sun reported the package containing uranium landed at Heathrow’s Terminal Four aboard an Oman Air passenger flight from Muscat.
The radioactive material was confiscated on December 29 during a routine screening in the Cargo section of Heathrow, the report said.
The package was addressed to an Iranian-linked firm in the UK, reported The Sun.
Alarmed by the contents of the package, Border Force agents isolated the consignment in a radioactive chamber and called in counter-terrorism officers.
A major anti-terrorism probe has been launched after the recovery.
“We can confirm officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were contacted by Border Force colleagues at Heathrow after a very small amount of contaminated material was identified after routine screening within a package incoming to the UK on 29 December 2022,” Met Police told MailOnline, UK based media agency.
“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,” Commander Richard Smith said, according to Dailymail Online.
“Although our investigation remains ongoing, from our inquiries so far, it does not appear to be linked to any direct threat. However, we will continue to follow up on all available lines of enquiry to ensure this is definitely the case,” the commander said.
The incident has also triggered concerns over the handling of nuclear material in Pakistan.
The discovery of uranium in the package has raised an alarm over Pakistan being used as a transit point for smuggling nuclear material.
Pakistan reacts
Meanwhile, Pakistan has rejected any connection with the tainted consignment, saying that the British media reports on the incident weren't factual.
“No information to this effect has been shared with us officially. We are confident that the reports are not factual,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper on Thursday.
According to Pakistani officials, the shipment did not originate in Pakistan, as is being claimed by British media, it said.
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