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IAEA Releases New Statistics on Illicit Trafficking
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| Abstract Number: |
200070110 |
| Headline: |
IAEA Releases New Statistics on Illicit Trafficking and Other Unauthorized
Activities involving Nuclear and Radioactive Materials |
| Date: |
11 September 2007 |
| Bibliography:
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International Atomic Energy Agency report,
http://www.iaea.org |
| Author: |
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| Orig. Src.:
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| Case:
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| Material:
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Nuclear and Radioactive Materials |
Abstract:
On 11 September 2007 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released
its annual update of statistics in the Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB).
According to the information provided by the IAEA Office of Nuclear Security,
from January 1993 to December 2006, the ITDB contained 1080 confirmed incidents,
reported by IAEA member states. Of the 1080 incidents, 275 involved unauthorized
possession and related criminal activity, 332 incidents involved theft or loss of
nuclear or other radioactive materials, 398 incidents involved other
unauthorized activities, and in 75 incidents the reported information was
insufficient to determine the incident category. The report notes IAEA concern
regarding illicit trafficking, and states that while most of the confirmed
incidents were supply-driven, the trends indicate a perceived demand for nuclear
and radioactive materials on the illegal market.
The IAEA first started collecting information on nuclear trafficking in 1993.
The ITDB was formally established in 1995, to track information on illicit
trafficking incidents and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and
other radioactive materials. The majority of incidents in the database involve
intentional illegal acquisition, possession, transfer, or disposal of nuclear or
other radioactive material, whether intentional or unintentional, with or
without crossing international borders. The database also includes incidents
involving inadvertent loss or the discovery of uncontrolled nuclear and
radioactive materials, or "orphan" materials. As of 1 September 2007
ninety-six IAEA member states participate in the ITDB program and voluntarily report
incidents to the IAEA. Out of the 14 states considered part of the Newly
Independent States (NIS), only two have not participated -- Turkmenistan and
Moldova.
The IAEA report states that a total of 252 confirmed incidents were reported to the ITDB in 2006, of which 150
occurred in 2006 and the remaining 102 had taken place
chiefly in 2005. Of these 150 incidents, 14 can be described as
instances of "illicit trafficking," defined as cases, which contain elements
such as illegal possession, movement, or attempts to illegally trade in these
materials. About 85 cases involved thefts and losses of nuclear or radioactive
materials, and in 73% of these incidents the materials have not been recovered.
The ITDB now contains 18 incidents involving highly enriched uranium (HEU) and
plutonium, 15 of which are instances of trafficking . The two
new cases for 2006 include incidents in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Hennigsdorf, Germany. The
IAEA released details of Georgia's January 2007 report to the ITDB of the February 2006
seizure of HEU. The report states that the incident involved 79.5 grams or
89%-enriched uranium, which is less than the 100 grams, initially reported in
the press. [Please see special update on
NTI Website Resources on Nuclear
Trafficking of January 2007]. The
case in Germany allegedly involved 47.5 grams of highly enriched uranium,
discovered by German authorities on a piece of tube found amidst scrap metal
entering a steel mill.
The
Center for Nonproliferation Studies has not verified the accuracy or veracity
of this report or the facts presented therein. For more information
on the material in this database please contact Dr. Scott Parrish at sparrish@miis.edu.
 This material is produced independently for NTI
by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has
not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers,
employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.
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