A container with a substance for radiological examinations disappeared from a Swiss laboratory in Sion on Tuesday morning. The material, which if used correctly is not dangerous, is enclosed in a light blue transport cylinder, weighing about 15 kilos, about thirty centimeters high.
This was announced by the Valais Police, who urged to immediately report any discovery by calling the 117. The radioactive material that is inside a medical device could be the cobalt-60 that can not be used to manufacture a conventional nuclear weapon, but in theory it could be used to make a so-called "dirty bomb", that is a bomb that after being exploded it can spread radioactive material around the place of its detonation. The container "can not be opened or damaged", since a radioactive leak could cause "severe consequences for the health of those who handle it".
It is very strange that a container with these characteristics did not have the necessary protection, comments Giovanni D'Agata, president of the “Rights Desk”.
The Valais authorities have launched an appeal warning “thieves” of the risk posed by the loot, while the security forces have been mobilized to find it as soon as possible. The container, if in the hands of criminals or terrorists, could be directed everywhere, therefore also in Italy, but for the moment there is no confirmation. It is not the first time that radioactive material has been stolen, dangerous both for its immediate effect and for its possible use in the manufacture of explosive devices: in 2012 the IAEA recorded 24 cases of theft or loss of "sensitive products" , especially in the territory of the former Soviet Union, admitting in turn that they represent "only the tip of the iceberg".
