Boosting nuclear security in South-East Asia

Introduction
Story
Shot List

Nuclear and other radioactive materials are used throughout the world in power generation, as well as in medicine, industry, agriculture and research. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) helps countries to prevent these materials from being used for malicious purposes.

From 5th to the 9th of December, the IAEA is hosting an International Conference on Nuclear Security in Vienna, Austria.

The conference will bring together ministers, senior officials and technical experts to consider how to strengthen the global nuclear security framework and to help set priorities in nuclear security for the coming years.

Boosting Nuclear Security in South-East Asia

IAEA Supports Nuclear Security Exercise on Thailand-Malaysia Border

The Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing between Thailand and Malaysia is one of the busiest in South-East Asia. Every day, over one and a half thousand vehicles and up to five thousand people pass through it.

Borders like this are a vital route for trade and tourism. But they can also be used by criminals to traffic drugs, weapons, people or even radioactive materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb or in other terrorist acts.

The IAEA supports the Thai and Malaysian authorities in their work to prevent, detect, and respond to criminal acts involving nuclear and other radioactive materials.

This November, after a year of preparations, around one hundred customs officials, police officers and radiation detection experts from Thailand and Malaysia came together to test their procedures for sharing information and the effectiveness of their nuclear security systems in a cross-border exercise.

In the scenario, based on information available to customs officials and police, a truck coming from Malaysia was intercepted at the border and escorted to a customs facility for further inspection.

Using an x-ray scanner, radiation detection equipment and by reviewing the customs declaration, officials quickly established that the truck was illegally trafficking nuclear materials.

At the end of the exercise, both countries and the IAEA agreed that valuable lessons have been learned that would help to improve national and regional detection and response capabilities.

The IAEA has been supporting its Member States in the field of nuclear security for decades. It provides guidance and services to assist countries in the secure management of nuclear and radioactive materials, whether they are in use, storage or being transported

The Agency also supports nuclear security efforts at major public events such as the Olympic Games. and international soccer championships.

It has trained over ten thousand police, customs and border guards and provided around three thousand devices for detecting and identifying nuclear and other radioactive materials at borders and near strategic locations.

From 5th to the 9th of December, the IAEA is hosting an International Conference on Nuclear

Security in Vienna, Austria.

B-roll duration: 07:29

00:00 00:05 Vehicles entering Malaysia from Thailand at the Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing

00:06 00:10 Border guard checks papers

00:11 00:15 The Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing

00:16 00:22 The truck which is being used for the exercise crosses the border

00:23 00:28 Thai border control guard

00:29 00:35 The truck which is being used for the exercise enters Thailand

00:36 00:46 The truck is escorted to the customs control area

00:47 00:53 The entrance to the x-ray building at the Dannai customs control area, Sadao, Thailand

00:54 00:58 The truck arrives at the Dannai customs control area

00:59 01:02 X-ray building at the Dannai customs control area

01:03 01:09 Truck enters the x- ray building at the Dannai customs control area

01:10 01:13 Control room. Monitor shows readings from radiation detection portal

01:14 01:23 Control room. Monitor shows the truck inside the x-ray building

01:24 01:27 Control room. Monitor shows readings from radiation detection portal

01:28 01:30 Control room. Exercise participants

01:31 01:34 X-ray image of truck carrying nuclear materials

01:35 01:38 Control room operator

01:39 01:42 Organic x-ray image of truck. Operator points at suspicious packages

01:43 01:57 A handheld radiation detector device is used on the truck

01:58 02:01 Thai customs officer

02:02 02:07 Mobile expert support team is briefed by customs official

02:08 02:21 Tests conducted to identify the type of radioactive or nuclear materials

02:22 02:30 Thai police arrive

02:31 02:38 Thai police are briefed by customs official

02:39 02:52 Radiation identification device is used on the truck

02:53 02:56 Customs control officer receiving further instructions

02:57 03:04 Truck is opened

03:05 03:08 Thai police officer looks on

03:09 03:18 Truck is opened

03:19 03:23 Photos of truck’s contents are taken

03:24 03:27 Bags of fertilizer under which the nuclear materials are hidden

03:28 03:35 Forensic Police with nuclear detection knowledge enter the trucks

03:36 03:41 Forensics police take photos of the process

03:42 03:45 Detection experts remove bags of fertilizer

03:46 03:50 Thai police officer gives instructions

03:51 03:54 One of the radioactive sources, stored in a shielded container, is located

03:55 04:01 A second source, also in a shielded container, is located

04:02 04:06 Evidence is gathered for further forensic tests

04:07 04:10 A radiation identification device is prepared

04:11 04:32 A radiation identification device is used on the sources

04:33 04:41 The participants meet the day after the exercise to discuss the day’s events

04:42 04:45 The participants review the joint evaluation report from the exercise

Soundbites

Normah binti Ishak, Counter Terrorism Unit, Royal Malaysian Police

Terrorist threat groups, they are not static. They are very dynamic - moving around throughout the world and in this region. So since we share the land border, we need to talk to each other, even on a daily basis.

Noor Fitriah Bakri, IAEA Nuclear Security Officer

A dirty bomb is a conventional bomb attached with radioactive materials. So in a normal conventional bomb things could be exploded and there would only be an impact from the explosions. But when you introduce radioactive materials in an explosion, there is the possibility of contamination on top of the explosion. I don't think we should be complacent just because it has never happened. I think we should give more reason for us to be alert and prepare ourselves.

Juan Carlos Lentijo, IAEA Deputy Director General, Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security

I think that the threat of nuclear terrorism is real. Firstly we have to consider that the amount of nuclear and radioactive material in the world is growing steadily and it is important to ensure that this material is under appropriate controls and it is not falling into the hands of terrorists.

We know that criminal groups have tried to get hold of nuclear or radioactive materials for criminal purposes and they think that there is a market for trafficking in nuclear material in the world.

06:20 06:26 Vienna International Centre, headquarters of the IAEA

06:27 06:32 Entrance to Vienna International Centre

06:33 06:37 Vienna International Centre

06:38 06:45 Nuclear Power Plant, Borssele, Netherlands. IAEA physical protection mission

06:46 06:49 Security systems control room

06:50 06:55 Security fence

06:56 06:59 Nuclear security training exercise in Poland in advance of UEFA EURO 2012

07:00 07:04 Participants control seats with radiation detection monitors

07:05 07:10 Participant uses backpack containing radiation detection monitor

07:11 07:16 Conditioning of disused radioactive sources used in radiotherapy, Manila, Philippines

07:17 07:20 Operator of the mobile hot cell inside which the sources are removed

07:21 07:29 Security wall at the Philippines radioactive waste storage facility

30 November 2016