`Illicit trafficking of radioactive materials exposed to terrorism`

Collective and deliberate efforts are highly needed to lessen the increasing illicit trafficking of radioactive materials that are likely to pose risks to people in least developing countries.

The call was made on Monday by the Board Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Edward Masalla, when officiating at a five-day workshop of the second regional training on advanced detection equipment in Dar es Salaam.

``The current trend of illicit radioactive materials trafficking needs collective efforts to curb the occurrence,`` Dr Massala said.

He called for cooperation between regional governments through their agencies and institutions responsible for preventing, detecting and interdicting or responding to illicit trafficking incidents and emergences.

Dr Masalla said the international community, through regional collaboration, needs to prepare for and deal with a diverse range of terrorist scenarios that posed a threat to public safety and security including illicit trafficking of radioactive materials.

``Terrorists might attempt to steal or acquire radioactive materials with the aim of making a radiological dispersive devises (RDD), called `dirty bomb`, according to today`s suicide terrorists who have no fears for their own safety,`` he said.

``Moreover the situation is aggravated by those who wish to make quick money by selling to terrorists radioactive materials wherever they can get them,`` Dr Masalla said.

The TAEC board chairman said Tanzania has implemented adequate measures to ensure nuclear security the facilities that have significant radiation practices.

Dr Pantelis Ikonomou, from the office of nuclear security IAEA, Vienna, Austria said there was a lot of radioactive materials around the world which posed a threat to the safety and security of the world population.

He said the insecurity on the misuse of radioactive materials dates back to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

``This is the time when there was an increased awareness of states to the use of radioactive materials by malicious people.

It called for attention, to strengthen capability in fighting malicious acts by combating illicit trafficking of such materials,`` he said.

Dr Ikonomou, who is also the workshop`s course director, said the training was conducted to prepare frontline officers to use radioactive equipments offered by IAEA.

The training has gathered frontline officers from Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Majority of the participants were also drawn from Police, international airports security officers, revenue authorities, Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) and Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda ministries of Home Affairs.