Uranium Package, Originating From Pakistan, Seized At London's Heathrow Airport

In a disturbing development, a shipment of uranium was seized at London's Heathrow Airport last month.

The undeclared nuclear material, which can be used in a dirty bomb, is suspected to have been destined for Iranian nationals in the UK and originated from Pakistan, The Sun reported.

The package arrived on a flight from Oman and was discovered during routine screening as it was being moved to a freight shed.

Counter-terrorism police and security services have launched an investigation into the seizure and are working to trace everyone involved.

"The race is on to trace everyone involved," a source close to the investigation was quoted by The Sun as saying.

Officials are also trying to determine the intended recipients of the package that was detected on 29 December 2022, and the police are said to be focusing on an Iran-based firm with UK premises.

So far, no arrests have been made, but officials have stated that they believe they have prevented an immediate threat to the public.

The discovery of the shipment has raised alarm over the possible use of Pakistan as a transit point for smuggling nuclear material.

Uranium is a naturally occurring element that can be used for nuclear-related purposes once it is refined or enriched through the use of centrifuges.

The incident has also led to concerns over the handling of nuclear material in Pakistan, with one line of inquiry being whether the contamination resulted from poor handling in the country, reports BBC.

Pakistan has had a tumultuous history with nuclear material, with several incidents of illegal proliferation of nuclear technology and materials being reported in the past.

In 2004, the world was shocked to learn that the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, had been running a black market in nuclear technology for more than a decade, and had provided nuclear secrets to countries such as Iran, Libya, and North Korea.