Counter-terror police investigating after uranium found in cargo arriving at Heathrow

10 January 2023, 23:00 | Updated: 10 January 2023, 23:28

Counter-terrorism police are investigating after a shipment containing a small amount of uranium was found at Heathrow late last year.

The cargo was found on a flight from Oman on December 29, and reportedly originated in Pakistan. It was destined for an Iranian business with premises in the UK.

The uranium shipment was picked up by scanners as it was moving to a freight shed.

Now after days of examining the potentially lethal material, investigators are working to find everyone connected to the contaminated cargo.

"The race is on to trace everyone involved with this rogue non-manifested package," the Sun reported an unnamed Heathrow source as saying.

"Security bosses are treating this with the seriousness it deserves. Protocol was not followed and this is now an anti-terror operation."

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "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."

Commander Richard Smith said: "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 enquiry 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 into the UK.

"No arrests have been made at this time and officers continue to work with partner agencies to fully investigate this matter and ensure there is no risk to the public.

"The material has been identified as being contaminated with uranium."

Uranium is a naturally occurring material but is harmful to humans.

The discovery of the shipment sparked concerns that it may have been intended for use in a dirty bomb, which is when radioactive material like uranium is combined with explosives like dynamite, although police said there was no threat to the public.

Hamish De Bretton-Gordon, the former commander of the UK’s nuclear defence, told the Sun: “For uranium to turn up on a commercial airliner from Pakistan to an Iranian address in the UK is very suspect."

He added: “The nuclear threat has never been higher. Higher than it has ever been in the Cold War.

“The good news is the system worked and it has been interdicted. Uranium can give off very hi