Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (1998) to promote co-operation at the international level in order to improve the control of radioactive materials. At the time of the drafting of this report, a similar MOU between the IAEA and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is pending. There are a number of measures that must be undertaken by States to combat the illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. These measures are, generally, shared between the regulatory and law enforcement agencies as part of a State's national arrangements. This Technical Document (TECDOC) will primarily be of interest to customs, border police and other law enforcement bodies. The report outlines the typical regulatory framework so that customs, police and other law enforcement staff are aware of the measures being taken to prevent loss of control. It also deals with the roles of customs, border police and other law enforcement bodies in the prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials. This publication outlines the supporting infrastructure concerned with the control of radioactive materials of all types, including radioactive sources, radioactive wastes and nuclear materials, in order to prevent them being involved in inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking. In particular. it explains the contribution that may be made by customs, police and other law enforcement bodies towards solving this problem. This TECDOC has neither the aim nor intention of interfering with the regulation or practice of customs or other law enforcement agencies. It is intended to support their countermeasures against inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials. The purpose of this publication is to provide information to customs, police and other law enforcement bodies on the arrangements for effectively preventing inadvertent movements and illicit trafficking, and the role that they might play in this. It is likely also to be of interest to the national regulatory authority, and others with related concerns