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Thai held on 'dirty bomb' chargeNo link found to terrorist groups, U.S. officials say
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Undercover Thai police have arrested a man who they say tried to sell them radioactive material suitable for making so-called "dirty bombs," U.S. officials said. The man, Narong Penanam, was charged with illegal possession of a nuclear material, cesium 137. Cesium 137 is produced when other radioactive materials, such as uranium and plutonium, absorb neutrons and undergo fission, according to a Web site of the Environmental Protection Agency. Officials said there was no information so far linking the man to a terrorist group. They added that though the man acknowledged that the cesium 137 was meant to be used in a "dirty bomb," there was no sign of a plot to use the substance against the United States. A U.S. official said it was "most likely a criminal matter rather than a terrorist one." Thai police were tipped off to the man by U.S. authorities. U.S. officials said the suspect apparently expected to sell the cesium 137 he was carrying Friday for about $250,000. Sources said he has told authorities that the cesium he had came from Laos, but officials believe the original source was Russia. In October 2002, Bangkok-based agents of the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement received information that someone was trying to sell enriched, or weapons-grade, uranium in Asia to make a dirty bomb, a U.S. official told CNN. The U.S. agents began working with the Royal Thai Police and U.S. Embassy to investigate. Between October and this month, agents and Thai police set up a series of undercover meetings with the suspect and obtained 66 pounds [30 kilograms] of a material. When it was tested, it was found to be cesium 137, the official said. Undercover agents then arranged another meeting to try to buy more of the substance, leading to the arrest. "This enforcement action represents an outstanding example of international cooperation in disrupting the proliferation of radiological material," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a written statement. The arrest follows the detention by Thai authorities of several members of the Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiyah on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks during a global economic summit later this year. (APEC targeted in terror plot) -- CNN Justice correspondent Kelli Arena contributed to this report.
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