TRANSPORT | ITDB REPORT IAEA ITDB summary


Latest figures from the IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB) indicate that thefts of radioactive material continue to follow historical averages but that more than half of these thefts occur during transportation.


THE IAEA INCIDENT AND TRAFFICKING DATABASE (ITDB) details incidents in which radioactive material is or was out of regulatory control. In 2022, 146 incidents were reported by 31 States. Unauthorized activities involving


25 20 15 10 5 0


Figure 1. Incidents reported to the ITDB that are confirmed, or likely, to be connected with trafficking or malicious use, 1993–2022.


140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0


Figure 2. Incidents reported to the ITDB where there is insufficient information to determine that the incident is, or is likely to be, either connected or unconnected with trafficking or malicious use10, 1993–2022.


250 200 150 100 50 0


Figure 3. Incidents where there is sufficient information to determine that the incident is not, or is unlikely to be, connected, with trafficking or malicious use, 1993–2022.


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radioactive material, including incidents of trafficking and malicious use, continue to follow historical averages. The number of ITDB States increased to 143 in 2022. Incident types are classified as:


Group I: incidents that are, or are likely to be, connected with trafficking or malicious use;


Group II: incidents of undetermined intent; and Group III: incidents that are not, or are unlikely to be, connected with trafficking or malicious use. Between 1993 and 2022 there were 4075 confirmed incidents, of which 344 were classified as Group I, 1036 were Group II, and 2695 were Group III. Of all the reported incidents, 14% involved nuclear material; 59% involved other radioactive material; and around 27% involved radioactively contaminated and other material. The majority of materials reported to the ITDB as stolen or lost involve those used in industrial, material analysis or medical applications. Overall, about 52% of all thefts reported since 1993 have


occurred during authorized transport. This figure stands at almost 62% in the last decade, which highlights the ongoing importance of strengthening transport security measures. A further 3.5% of the reported thefts are confirmed to be related to trafficking; around 8.5% have been confirmed to be not related to trafficking or malicious use; the trafficking or malicious use intent of around 88% of thefts remains undetermined. In the period between 1993 and 2022, confirmed incidents in Group I included high enriched uranium (13), plutonium (3), and plutonium-beryllium neutron sources (5). By type of material, 47% of Group I incidents involved nuclear material, around 37% involved other radioactive materials and around 16% involved other materials, mostly non-radioactive materials used in scam/frauds. A small number of these incidents involved seizures of


kilogram quantities of potentially weapons-usable nuclear material, but the majority involved gram quantities. Some of these incidents involved attempts to sell or traffic these materials across international borders. Trafficking incidents have declined significantly in the last years. In the period between 1993 and 2022, confirmed incidents in Group II included high enriched uranium (2), and plutonium-beryllium neutron sources (3). No such materials were reported in 2022. Overall, in the 1993-2022 period, the majority of Group II incidents were comprised of radioactive sources (83%). In 2022 alone, this figure was 87.5% and included three incidents; two Category-2 and one Category-3 radioactive sources. In the 1993–2022 period, more than half (almost 53%) of incidents involved radioactive sources while only around 10% of all incidents in Group III involved nuclear material. Incidents involving high enriched uranium (20), plutonium (3), and plutonium-beryllium neutron sources (10) were reported. ■


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