Malta Customs Seizes Radioactive Garments In Global Operation Stingray
Malta Customs has intercepted a radioactive shipment of textiles destined for Algeria, part of a global crackdown on illicit nuclear and radioactive material trafficking.
The discovery came during a routine container inspection, when a gamma radiation alarm went off at a fixed radiation portal monitor. The shipment, 18,000 kg of garments, was found to be contaminated as reported by Times Of Malta.
According to the World Customs Organisation (WCO), if the contamination hadn’t been caught, the clothes “could have entered the market, potentially exposing the public to radiation.”
Malta was among 89 customs administrations participating in Operation Stingray, the first WCO initiative targeting nuclear and other radioactive materials outside regulatory control.
The three-week operation led to 51 seizures across 18 countries, raising awareness of the dangers posed by illicit radioactive trafficking.
The operation also highlighted the importance of real-time cross-border communication. For example, Angola flagged a shipment of highly radioactive Iridium-192 to Portugal, which turned out to be miss-declared upon inspection.
The WCO praised the exercise for showing how global cooperation is vital in preventing dangerous materials from circulating and keeping the public safe.
What do you make of this?
READ NEXT: Malta Officially Welcomes Its First B Corp™ - Steves&Co.
