Trafficking in ‘dirty bomb’ material suspected

THE UN nuclear watchdog agency said yesterday it suspected criminal groups were trafficking in radioactive material that could be used to make a “dirty bomb”.

Director of radioactive waste safety at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Abel Gonzalez said a non-nuclear bomb built to spew radioactive material could cause chaos, even if the explosion itself did not kill many people.

“I have no proof but suspicions of organised movements to take radioactive material for terrorist actions,” Gonzalez told the annual Crans Montana international conference.