Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Mpigi District are holding three factory laboratory attendants over allegedly stealing radioactive substances.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga has told journalists that the arrests follow a May 19 case of theft of radioactive materials from China Civil Engineering Construction and Cooperation.
“This was quite a very sensitive matter but our counter-terrorism experts were able to respond swiftly to this complaint of theft of radioactive substances from the Chinese company located at Kagezi Village, Kiringente Sub County in Mpigi District. They managed to recover the stolen items,” Enanga said on Monday.
Radioactive material is any material containing unstable atoms that emit ionizing radiation as it decays. These materials are used in industries, hospitals for radiotherapy and even in the metal industries.
“When our counter-terrorism teams responded, they established that the three laboratory experts had conspired and moved the radioactive substances out of the restricted stores and concealed it in packaging bags which they hid in a rented and unauthorized room,” Enanga added.
“Luckily enough, at the time of recovering the radioactive substances, we found that it was still fully intact even though the charger was intact. Our experts shielded and safely transported them to the stores. Steps have been taken to tighten security to prevent such radioactive materials from leaving the major stores,” he explained.
Police said they thank their city experts and the Atomic Energy Council in Uganda for disrupting the attempt to steal and sell the radioactive materials because they established that there was a buyer who had Shs50 million for these radioactive substances.
“We are now tracing onwards to establish the buyer because we believe that such buyers who would like to acquire such dangerous materials in unlawful manners are usually malicious actors and wrong elements whom we believe could have used the radiological substances to make bombs that can be used in acts of terror,” Enanga observed.
According to him, another potential hazard and threat of such radioactive substances is that it can cause very severe cases of illness which can lead to organ failure and even death.
According to police, chronic exposures can also lead to cancer, particularly Leukemia, thyroid cancer and various tumors.
Expert opinion
Dr John Bwangu, a radiographer at Mulago Hospital said it is true radioactive substances are very dangerous when exposed anyhow to humans.
“Radioactive substances produce radiation which is very dangerous and can cause injury to the body cells. They can cause mutation, change of the body and radiation burn,” Dr Bwangu told Monitor in a Monday phone interview.
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