Police in the UK detain a guy after discovering uranium at Heathrow Airport in London

A man in his 60s has been retained after uranium traces were found at Heathrow Airport in December. He is suspected of committing a terrorism offence. It took place during a Saturday address search by counterterrorism officers in Cheshire.

The Terrorism Act of 2006’s Section 9, which addresses the production and ownership of radioactive materials and apparatus, is what led to the person’s detention.

He received a bail release up until April.

According to Cdr. Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, the incident “still does not appear to be linked to any direct threat to the public.”

In order to “make sure this is exactly the case,” he said, the authorities were still looking into the situation.

After thoroughly searching the Cheshire property, police said they had found nothing that would endanger the public.

On December 29, Border Force agents discovered the radioactive material while doing a routine inspection of a shipment of scrap metal.

Uranium is an element that is found naturally. It can be used for nuclear applications after being enriched or purified. This is made possible by the use of centrifuges, which are devices with rapid spinning.

Fuel for industrial nuclear power reactors can be made from low-enriched uranium.

In research reactors, highly enriched uranium with a purity of 20% or more is employed. The uranium used in weapons is at least 90% enriched.

It is a crucial component of nuclear weapons and can be used for scientific research and the production of electricity for domestic usage. The metal itself is poisonous if consumed or inhaled, and some isotopes produce radiation that may be harmful to humans.