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Scientists Who Smuggle Radioactive Materials

Lasrick writes: Although the complicity of scientists in the smuggling of radioactive materials has been a long-standing concern, smuggling-prevention efforts have so far failed to recognize a key aspect to the problem: scientists are often sought out to test the quality and level of the material well before it is taken to the black market. Egle Murauskaite of the U.S. National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) describes why concentrating on this aspect of the smuggling process, long considered less egregious than the actual selling of the material, could really make a difference in keeping radioactive materials off the black market in the first place.

2 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Old news by gmuslera · · Score: 5, Funny

    We know that it is happening since 1985, there had been at least a case of a scientist (E.Brown, if i'm not mistaken) smuggling plutonium to give it to libyan terrorists, or even doing very dangerous experiments with it.

    1. Re:Old news by gargleblast · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm sure that in 1985 plutonium was available in every corner drug store, but in 2014 it's a little hard to come by.