Nuclear Material Found in Sydney Raid, Suspect Alleged to Be Employee of Australian Border Force

Australian Border Fore (ABF) officers are seen onsite after an unit was raided on Kelsey St in the suburb of Arncliffe in Sydney, Australia on Aug. 17, 2023. AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

Authorities on Aug. 17 raided a Sydney residence and found a radioactive isotope, including liquid mercury, in the possession of a man alleged to be an employee of the Australian Border Force (ABF).

The ABF said that the raid was conducted following the detection of a “range of illicit substances” being imported through air cargo in Sydney.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) HAZMAT specialist operators were called in to assist the ABF during the raid on a flat on Kelsey Street, Arncliffe, in Sydney’s north, at 8 a.m.

The specialist team located “low-level radioactive isotopes, commonly used in several industries, at the location,” according to a statement by FRNSW.

Channel 10 reported that a quantity of mercury (liquid metal), and a uranium isotope (U-238, or depleted uranium) were found during the raid.

The TV network also reported that the raid was on a man who was a current employee of the ABF.

The Epoch Times has asked the ABF to confirm whether the man is an ABF employee but has not received a response.

Additionally, the small quantities of nuclear material found are not of themselves illegal to possess, “but it might be alleged that which they came into these hands was illegal,” according to Channel 10.

FRNSW said the material was found in “suitable and effective containers, with no release of radiation” and that Radiation and Scientific Support teams from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) were sent to the address to assist.

“EPA testing confirmed there was no evidence of exposure,” FRNSW said, adding that radiation tests of residents and ABF staff returned regular readings.

The FRNSW has declared the scene safe.

In a statement, the ABF said that it located and seized 52 vials of suspected hazardous substances.

“The vials have been transferred to the appropriate facilities, where they will be subject to testing.”

Three occupants of the address were taken to the hospital purely for observation.

“A 23-year-old Australian national male is assisting with investigations, which remain ongoing,” the ABF said.

“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that this incident poses any kind of national security risk.”

ABF Deputy Commission of National Operations Tim Fitzgerald commended the team for an “incredible job.”

“At the forefront of our minds at all times during this operation was the safety and wellbeing of community members and all officers involved. There remains no ongoing risk to community safety,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.

U-238’s Radioactivity Hard to Determine

Uranium 238 is used in nuclear reactors, weapons, and geological dating. However, Dr. Fiona Helen Panther, from the University of Western Australia’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, said it was hard to determine the radioactivity of the nuclear material found during the raid.

“It’s a tricky one because it depends how long it’s been around, also what it’s in,” Ms. Panther said, reported The Guardian.

“It’s when it’s being bombarded with neutrons to split it that it becomes dangerous, but just hanging around in the environment … even a few grams of uranium isn’t going to raise [the background radiation] to a point where people should be concerned.”

Ms. Panther added that hobby collectors could obtain it in tiny vials.

“In the 50s and 60s, there was a popular type of glass that glows in the dark, and it shows up all the time in antique stores. You wouldn’t want to have it really close to you, but the amount in it is so low it won’t pose a threat,” she said.

Australia’s nuclear regulator is “supporting relevant state and federal agencies in the ongoing management and resolution of the situation,” an ABF spokesperson said.