Munich

The Greek authorities are stepping up investigations into the smuggling of nuclear material following the discovery of a cache of radioactive plates in the north of the country.

Around 350 plates containing a total of three grams of plutonium were unearthed last month in a forest near the city of Thessaloniki. But such a small amount is a long way from the several kilograms needed to build a nuclear weapon.

“The only explanation for their appearance is that they were smuggled into Greece by criminals hoping to find a gullible buyer,” says Leonidas Kamarinopoulos, president of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

The plates were found following an anonymous tip-off to police. They were taken to a nuclear research laboratory in Athens, where analysis by a GAEC team revealed the presence of plutonium-239 and traces of americium.

According to the Greek authorities, the mildly radioactive plates are probably machine components from eastern Europe. Kamarinopoulos believes that the plates were stolen from a paper plant, most probably in Russia, where devices containing plutonium are widely used as electrostatic eliminators. This technology is not used in the West.

But the circumstances of any planned smuggling deal remain hazy. An anonymous informant apparently told the police that members of the Bulgarian mafia had hidden the material in the forest. But it is not clear whether the couriers were still arranging to sell the plates, or seeking to dispose of them after failing to find a buyer.

Although there have been several reported cases of attempted plutonium trading in Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey, this is the first known case of such smuggling in Greece.

Given the incident's rather amateurish circumstances, Kamarinopoulos is inclined to dismiss it as isolated case. Nonetheless, the Greek government is taking it seriously, and says it will explore the possible existence of a larger channel of nuclear smuggling activity through Greece.

According to David Kyd, a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the discovery is “a potential health hazard, but certainly not a serious proliferation risk”. As nuclear weapons need several kilograms of plutonium, he says: “No interested party would buy plutonium in the magnitude of a few grams, hoping that the dealer will come back with more.”

The IAEA has sent a safety expert to Greece to assist the local authorities in decontaminating the spot where the plates were found. Meanwhile, 200 cubic metres of soil have been removed, and all water sources in the area have been sealed off. The vicinity is also being searched for any more radioactive material.

The IAEA has offered to help analyse the precise balance of plutonium isotopes in the material, which would help to track down its exact source.

Nuclear proliferation experts are cautious about judging the significance of the incident. “No matter how big the actual threat is, it is disturbing to see that some east European production and research facilities are not sufficiently safeguarded,” says Spurgeon Keeny, president of the Washington-based Arms Control Association.