Radioactive sand seized at Moscow airport

The Russian Federal Customs Service announced that it had seized a quantity of sand containing high levels of radiation from a passenger arriving from India at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport.

A statement issued by the press service of the service said: "Customs officers at Vnukovo Airport seized a quantity of volcanic sand from a passenger who arrived from India via the United Arab Emirates. The level of radiation in the sand was 11 times higher than normal."

The statement added: "Inspectors stopped a 42-year-old Muscovite in the (green) corridor at the airport after they noticed a black substance in her luggage. Upon examination, it was found that the black sand she had in her possession contained natural radioactive isotopes of thorium-232."

The woman indicated that she had collected the sand from the coast of the Indian Ocean to use it in making cosmetics, and she was unaware of the health risks of such substances.

The Federal Customs Administration noted that, by decision of the Russian Consumer Protection Agency, the entry of radioactive sand into Russian territory is prohibited. Therefore, the sand in the woman’s possession was confiscated and placed in a special isolated room to be dealt with later.