Free Republic

Gangs with suspected Russian ties sought to sell radioactive material through Moldova to buyers from the Middle East, including the Islamic State group. CHISINAU, Moldova — In the backwaters of Eastern Europe, authorities working with the FBI have interrupted four attempts in the past five years by gangs with suspected Russian connections that sought to sell radioactive material to Middle Eastern extremists, The Associated Press has learned. The latest known case came in February this year, when a smuggler offered a huge cache of deadly cesium — enough to contaminate several city blocks — and specifically sought a buyer from...

The security cordon around the US could be tightened with an improved system for catching people trying to smuggle nuclear material. The detectors can ferret out fissile material such as uranium, even if it is sealed in a lead container, and could be installed within the year. The amount of nuclear material recorded as missing from licensed sites around the world suggests smuggling is rife, but inadequate equipment at national borders means seizures by customs are few and far between. US borders are patrolled by officers wearing "pagers" that detect the high levels of gamma radiation emitted by nuclear material....