The London Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command unit is investigating after a shipment contaminated with uranium was found at Heathrow Airport on 29th December, 2022.
A security alert was sparked at Heathrow after scanners detected the uranium as a shipment of scrap metal was being moved to a freight shed, according to media reports.
The shipment reportedly arrived at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 on an Oman Air plane travelling from Muscat, although the package is thought to have originated in Pakistan.
Police have stated that there is no threat to the public from the incident, with one line of inquiry reported as being due to “poor handling” in Pakistan. No one has been arrested over the incident and it’s not clear where the shipment was destined for.
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“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,” the Metropolitan Police stated.
“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,” counter-terror commander Richard Smith said.
“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,” he added.
