Report Reveals Rampant Smuggling of Radioactive Materials

You almost never hear about something like this in the US. Does that mean its not happening or just not detected?

Also, I was under the impression our greatest concern was that radio active materials might be coming out of Russia, but it sounds like that's less of a problem than coming from other countries (which?) where its easier to smuggle the materials out.

In a troubling disclosure, the Russian Federal Customs Service has revealed that authorities thwarted more than 850 attempts to smuggle highly radioactive materials in and out of Russia in 2007. Eighty-five percent of these smuggling attempts were going into the country, and 15 percent were going out.

The figures are likely to fuel fears about how many illegal exports were not detected, and what the potential dangers of such radioactive materials can be. In December last year, police in Slovakia arrested three people, who were attempting to sell 2.2 pounds of uranium for $1 million. Meanwhile, Britain continues to demand the extradition of Russian MP, Andrei Lugovoi, the prime suspect in the poisoning of former KGB officer, Alexander Litvinenko, who was killed with radioactive polonium-210 in London in November 2006.

Via The Blotter.