>

No Charles, we said urine sample!
A small amount of the radioactive material was found with a shipment of scrap metal following a routine screening on 29 December.
Police said on Sunday that the man was arrested on suspicion of a terror offence on Saturday and was released on bail as part of their investigation.
He [Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command] added that despite the arrest, the incident does "not appear to be linked to any direct threat to the public", but detectives are continuing inquiries to ensure this is "definitely the case". >


A small amount of the radioactive material was found with a shipment of scrap metal

Some of the worst contamination events were caused by people that just didn't know they were dealing with radioactive materials. The biggest example I can think of is the Goiania Incident. 
(Though that wasnt Uranium, but a much more radioactive material that was used for radiation treatment and was just carelessly abandoned when the medical center shut down. ) >

Goiânia accident
The Goiânia accident was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on September 13, 1987, in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, after a forgotten radiotherapy source was stolen from an abandoned hospital site in the city. It was subsequently handled by many people, resulting in four deaths. About 112,000 people were examined for radioactive contamination and 249 of them were found to have been contaminated.
In the consequent cleanup operation, topsoil had to be removed from several sites, and several houses were demolished. All the objects from within those houses, including personal possessions, were seized and incinerated. Time magazine has identified the accident as one of the world's "worst nuclear disasters" and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called it "one of the world's worst radiological incidents". >


He inserted the screwdriver and successfully scooped out some of the glowing substance. Thinking it was perhaps a type of gunpowder, he tried to light it, but the powder would not ignite.

Sir.
I'm honestly amazed this incident didn't turn out worse. Thank fuck one person realized something wasn't right and took the stuff to the hospital, and so unfortunate she's one of the people who died. >

Oh no. This is the thing where the guy let his little kids play with the glowing powder and smear it all over themselves.
This fucking broke my heart when I first read it. >

Yeah that part of the story was easily the most disturbing. And the rest of the story was no walk in a park either. >

And yet...what kid wouldn't?
It's totally understandable but so heartbreaking. >

Similar to antifreeze being delicious.  Some lady murdered her brother in law by adding it to pineapple juice and he didn’t notice anything off while drinking it. >

As I recall they add an extremely bitter chemical to many cleaning products these days specifically to deal with this problem. >

Denatonium benzoate! >

You can buy Uranium on Amazon. All these articles are leaving out what type of Uranium was found, the most important detail. >

It was found in a shipment of scrap metal. May be entirely unintended that some of it was radioactive. Many types of detectors and instruments use radiation in their functions. Could just be that. >

He 100% got medical machinery scrap lol , the case is was he trying to make a bomb is it the first time he has got scrap metal I can’t wait to read about the investigation >

Medical machinery almost never makes use of uranium, because it's actually not radioactive enough (medical machinery needs passive radioactivity, while nuclear reactors and weapons need criticality and chain reactions, which are very different things). Example: Co-60 has a half life around 5 years, while U-235 (the fissile isotope) has a half life around 700 million years. >

I was told there'd be no math. >

So you won't help me with all these watermelons? >

Only if they're frictionless, spherical, and in a vacuum. >

You awaken in a room next to 7 shiny floating orbs that appear to have a watermelon coloring. You immediately notice you are having difficulty breathing as the air inside your lungs is expelled. 
Your eyes ache.
Roll a constitution save with disadvantage. >

/roll 5d6 with clear eyes. +1Wow. >

I worked at a recycling centre in Canada, our garbage bales get scanned at the dump, we had one trailer that had radiation traces in it... They shut us down for a week until they found out where it was coming from...
Ended up being medical waste >

So happy they were doing screening 😩The stupidity of humanity is unmatched. >

This happens a lot in the scrapping industry.  Look up PlainlyDifficult on YT.  He's got tons of examples of radiological waste ending up in a scrap yard videos.  More likely than not, this is probably the case here. >

Can I ask, why would you fly scrap internationally? >

Scrap may be a bit misleading.
A man I know has a business of dismantling electronics, including medical equipment. The components are quite valuable in international markets that still rely on older technology.
He once showed me a small shelf of materials, stuff I could never identify. Circuit boards, various connectors, and what seemed random parts.
He used a jeweler's glass to determine authenticity and quality while pricing items.
They would fit inside a briefcase.
And were worth about 50k USD in overseas markets.
I could easily imagine someone scheming to avoid disclosure for import/export fees or tax reasons on this type of material. >

Stop- police!
(Rummages through bag, throws uranium aside)
This toothpaste is more than the accepted 3.4oz. You’re coming with us >

I was once flying out of Chicago Ohare, I had weed on me (most of the time they don't care every once in a while they will take it away, I assume because they want to smoke it) shampoo, and a big knife I completely forgot was in the pocket of my work pants. They pulled me aside, took the shampoo, and left the rest. 
TSA is fucking useless most of the time. >

TSA is looking for security threats, not general lawbreaking. Weed on a plane isn't a threat to anyone, so TSA isn't actively looking for it. >

Right, I'm more so alluding to the fact that they left a big ass knife and will take your weed if they want to smoke it. >

So there ARE some positives in working for TSA… >

”This is emotional support uranium.” >

I’m sitting here imagining uranium with an emotional support vest on. 🦺 >

“Try being more proactive and not reactive”
-emotional support uranium. >

All cargo arriving at Heathrow has to pass through a radioactive scanner before reaching the warehouses, it is basically a drive through archway that all the lorries pass under.  The Uranium was picked up by the scanner and the cargo was immediately seized so there was no risk to the public, the protective measures did their job. >

Sending scrap metal by air? Seems a bit sus. >

Not really. 
Industrial field service engineers fly all around the world to repair all kinds of weird ass machines. When parts break, they are brought back for failure analysis (and maybe refurbishment). 
The things still have to be declared on customs forms with a value. What's the value of broken parts? Scrap metal. >

For a second i feared that the man did smuggle uranium personally. >

Like in his Uranus? >

Uranius >

Doc? >

Run for it, Marty! >

Whoa, this is heavy! >

There's that word again. "Heavy." Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth's gravitational pull? >

Uranium fever has done and got me down
Uranium fever, it's spreadin' all around
With a Geiger counter in my hand
I'm a-goin' out to stake me some government land
Uranium fever has done and got me down >

Brb, gonna roam the wasteland and shoot some raiders. >

Sir is this Uranium?
No, its not my anium, I don’t know who put this in my bag >

Yes, and will you please take your finger out of my anium. >

Should people arrested on suspicion of terror offenses really be released on bail?
Or does everyone involved realize that the charges are bullshit? >


"I want to be clear that despite making this arrest, and based on what we currently know, this incident still does not appear to be linked to any direct threat to the public.
"However, detectives are continuing with their inquiries to ensure this is definitely the case."

The reality is that radioactive material often ends up being mixed into scrap. Without a Geiger counter it's impossible to tell. So I'd imagine the police thinks that this was just an accident with none of the people involved being aware of the radioactive material. >

Okay but also who is flying with a suitcase full of unsorted scrap metal? >

Scrap metal is probably a bit misleading though, it could just be assorted components or something. >

My high-school physics teacher brought in an orange plate, stuck it under a Geiger counter and told us how uranium made a pretty orange color in ceramics.  I'm guessing they don't use it for that anymore. >

There is a Czech town that specialises in yellow/green glass and I believe some niche companies on the US. It is still going (glowing?). Seriously, you can see them with UV but they need very sensitive detectors to measure. Unless it is in a dust form it isn't considered dangerous. >


Witnesses said they could hear the man screaming "Marty! Marty, you've gotta come back with me!" The man was said to be wearing a white set of grease covered coveralls with wild and messy white hair. Other witnesses reported sightings of a Delorean that seemed to have modifications the suspect refered to as meteorology equipment. >

100% clickbait and scaremongering. >

tl;dr
Man in his 60s arrested over uranium found at Heathrow Airport
Author: Sky Uk Limited
Summary of article:


A man in his 60s has been arrested under terrorism laws after traces of uranium were found in a cargo package at Heathrow Airport.


Police said the man was arrested in Cheshire on Saturday and later released on bail.


Border Force officers found a small amount of uranium with a shipment of scrap metal following a routine screening at Heathrow Airport on 29 December.


Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command, said: "I want to be clear that despite making this arrest, and based on what we currently know, this incident still does not appear to be linked to any direct threat to the public."


However, detectives are continuing with their inquiries to ensure this is definitely the case.


I am a smart robot and this summary was automatic.
I'm still learning! Please reply 'good bot' or 'bad bot' to let me know how I did. >

Me: Man arrested after uranium found at Heathrow Airport.
Wife: what?
Me: Uranium... Heathrow... At airport.
Wife: He threw uranium at airport?!
Made my evening. >

His age is the least interesting part of this headline >

There’s an age limit for carrying uranium in the Uk? >

Hope the neutrons were released without charges. >

What the hell is Clarkson doing now. >

Was this man best friends with a teenage boy, perhaps? >

Doc! You can't just buy uranium for your damn DeLorean! >

It's plutonium Marty! And I didn't, I got it from Libyans who wanted me to build a bomb! >

That's heavy, Doc! >

Is there something wrong with gravity in the future? >

e pluribus uranium >

The type of uranium he has is pretty important, normal abundant uranium is pretty safe to be around, as long as you aren’t eating it. Most likely this is a mistake, unless if he’s carrying around a heap of Uranium-235 >

They also found an unmarked, heavily modified DeLorean in a nearby car park. >


Border Force officers found a small amount of uranium with a shipment of scrap metal following a routine screening at Heathrow Airport on 29 December.

Makes me think of the Ciudad Juárez cobalt-60 contamination incident, where a chunk of radioactive cobalt-60 (from a radiation therapy medical device) was inadvertently mixed in with scrap metal and ended up contaminating several thousand tons of rebar made from the recycled metal, which in turn was used in the construction of thousand of buildings. >

I was treated as a kid with cobalt-60 to my whole spine in the 80s. Ask me how I’m doing now.
Yay! Survive a rare tumor on my spinal cord twice!  Oh nooo you don’t!  Like walking? Nope. Ruin your life when you finally attain some stability and comfort. 
Sorry, I know you don’t need to know this. I just felt annoyed. >

WTF has his age got to do with it? >

It's one of the few things news articles are allowed to stay at an early stage, it's pretty normal where have you been >

I know it's usual, I wonder why it has any bearing on the story.  If it was a 10 year old, it'd be interesting. >

A boy scout once made a nuclear reactor and got the feds to come and demolish his house >

Surprised we didn't get a "we've been monitoring him for 10 years, in 2014 he was arrested for attempting to nuke london" >

Bro was trying to go 88MPH In a metric area. 💀 >

Hope the Libyans enjoy their used pinball machine parts. >

Breaking News: Custom Border Officers Are Doing Their Jobs. The end. >

Doc Brown?!?! >

The guy was probably very into heavy metal. >

60?  Oh good it’s not NileRed then… >

.... After originating in Pakistan. >

Why is this remotely newsworthy? My house has plenty of uranium in it. It's a common mineral and not even a controlled substance in the U.S. (I know this is the U.K.)
Imagine if people got this worked up over flammable poisonous gasoline... >

People are ignorant about Uranium and are afraid of it. Articles like this feed on that and get a lot of clicks. >

What kind of uranium?
You can buy uranium on Amazon in the US. 
I have uranium on my desk at work. It’s a good conversation starter. 
I don’t know what the rules for transporting uranium in the UK are but in the US there are very few and the booze in the airport duty free is more dangerous than most forms of uranium.
You are exposed to more harmful radiation from a single brief airline flight than if you held uranium in your hands for a thousand years. 
I’ll have to check but if you ground it up and swallowed it, the flight would probably still be more dangerous. >

He didn't have his uranium license. >

How often is scrap metal shipped by air. I can barely make weight for my luggage. 
Seriously, we had gobs of uranium salts in our lab back in the day. Uranium is not so rare and not so dangerous. Enrichment of isotopes is pretty tough. >

What a strange headline. >

I have several pieces of uranium glass, also known as depression glass, in my basement. Guess I won’t be taking it on any airplanes. >

Did they find it like this?
Repo Man Police Scene >

Uranium? Damn near killed em >

Jealous. I want some uranium. >

I could totally see this happening to my dad. He buys so much stupid shit at estate sales. If he saw some old medical device for $5 he'd buy it.
Dad, all this stuff is going in the trash when you're gone. >

Good ole Doc Brown at it again. >

A befuddled old man accidentally having overlooked some uranium at the airport is the most British thing I have ever seen.
What is he a professor of? No way this guy doesn't have tenure somewhere. >

His name was Vlad and he was on his way to see Salisbury Cathedral Spire. >

Anyone remember the episode of House where the kid gets severe radiation poisoning from what looked like a fishing weight his dad gave him? >

Not gonna lie.
That’s a little suspicious. >

If there’s a bustle in your Heathrow, be alarmed now. >

This is one of those things that they teach you about all the different things the detector will go off for. They're like this is metal this is bombs ,drugs what ever. Oh this one is uranium but in my 8 years here I've never seen that one >

Probably an aircraft counterweight, a DU penetrator tip, or an old gamma projector housing if metal. If not metal it could be ore or a piece of fiestaware. Uranium is not dangerous. It is a very hard heavy metal with mild radioactivity, and it sparks like cigarette lighter flint from being scraped with a file.  No worries. 😁 >

Surprised they check for this sort of thing given how uncommon it is. Not saying it was intentional but nice to know they're actually looking. >

I'm surprised they actually manage to detect trace amounts of uranium, it's so weakly radioactive it might as well not even be there. >

Reminds me of the Terry Pratchett story about the person who set off the radio alarm detectors on the way into the power station. Which is not supposed to happen.
He had been disassembling an old altimeter with a radium dial on his dining table the night before.
I believe he never got his table back. >

Is it normal to just bring in shipments of scrap metal through Heathrow lol >

1.21 GIGAWATTS!!! It’s your kids, Marty! >

Yeah but let's go ahead and release the guy on bail sounds like a great idea >

That’s heavy, Doc! >

Wtf you can buy uranium glass from thrift shops or antique stores openly. They glow and they'll register on a Geiger counter. 
What a poor article. >

Border Force need to be equally thorough with the people coming into this country >

Man in his 60s….why is this in the title. Who cares how old he is. Couldn’t they find another more interesting descriptor >

He wasn’t trans, didn’t specify pronouns and wasn’t a racial minority. How else to describe him. >

Well at least he wasn’t doing something far worse, like trying to sneak weed into Russia, for example.