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Scanners find high concentration of Cobalt 60 :
Container of radioactive goods seized at Colombo Port
by Dhaneshi YATAWARA
 Sri Lanka Customs has detained a container load of highly radioactive
stainless steel and aluminium household articles imported from India.
Tests conducted by the Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka have
determined that the goods (125 items) unloaded at the Colombo Port on
Thursday contained high concentrations of Cobalt 60, a radioactive
substance usually used to treat cancer.
The Authority has banned the entry of these goods to the market.
The radioactive nature of the goods was revealed in a routine scan by
radiation scanners installed at the Colombo Port by the Atomic Energy
Authority.
Members of the Protective and Regulatory Unit of the Atomic Energy
Authority led by Senior Deputy Director Anil Ranjith who examined
samples of the cargo on site and in their sophisticated laboratory
confirmed the presence of radioactive materials, especially Cobalt 60, a
spokesman for the Power and Energy Ministry said.
The 40-foot container is now kept under heavy security and with full
safety measures at a special location belonging to the Sri Lanka Ports
Authority under the supervision of the Atomic Energy Authority.
It is conducting further tests to determine whether every item in the
cargo is radioactive. As a precautionary measure, none of the items will
be released to the market.
The Authority has requested the Customs to provide information on the
Indian company which exported the products to Sri Lanka.
Atomic Energy Authority Chairman Ranjith Wijewardane said they would
apprise the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Indian Atomic
Energy Authority about the radioactive cargo and to take steps to return
the container to India. The Atomic Energy Authority has recently stepped
up screening and security procedures to prevent entry of radioactive
substances which are harmful to public safety and health.
There is no chance of such substances gaining entry to the country,
Chairman Wijewardane said.
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