An audit by the American Chamber of Accounting showed that, with forged documents, it was possible to purchase radioactive materials that could be used in the "dirty bomb" industry in the United States of America.
According to a report published by NBC in Phoenix, in April 2019, FBI agents surrounded the home of a citizen, Jared Atkins, in Phoenix. After a two-hour standoff, security services in the building discovered three stolen radioactive devices, enough to make a deadly "dirty bomb", and sentenced Atkins to 15 years.
- Now, according to the American Chamber of Accounting, attackers no longer need to steal radioactive materials, but can buy them.
- These materials are commonly used in technological devices for medical, industrial and research purposes
- but the American Chamber of Accounting warns: "Even small quantities in the hands of terrorists can be used to make a dirty bomb."
In an exclusive NBC report, the United States Chamber of Accounting found that the current security measures did not provide adequate protection against the procurement of high-risk radioactive materials. By using counterfeit licences, the investigators were able to purchase the materials from two different United States companies, sufficient for hundreds of deaths from evacuations and billions of dollars' worth of social and economic damage.
According to NBC news correspondent Stephenie Gusk, radioactive materials are controlled by the NRC
- which resorts to special security measures
- if a person purchases hazardous materials in large quantities.
- However, investigators received less than the value not allowed
- while the Accounting Chamber insists on stricter procedures even for small quantities.
The room refers, in particular, to the radioactive materials incident at the University of Washington in May 2019, after which the building took two years and 156 million dollars to clean.
According to the report, national security officials told the Chamber of Accounts that terrorists and other infiltrators were increasingly interested in the manufacture of the "dirty bomb".
According to House National Security Committee member Tom Malinowski, there are real terrorist organizations, including neo-Nazi groups in the United States of America, trying to get a dirty bomb to carry out attacks.
For its part, the NRC stated that it was taking urgent action, including contacting manufacturers of these radioactive products, and expediting the change of rules to review procurement licenses, but according to the NRC, the threat does not require immediate changes.