Nuclear Forensics Investigation of a Package Containing Radioactive Material

The Israeli National Nuclear Forensics laboratory is a collaboration between Soreq Nuclear research Center (NRC), NRC Negev , Israel Police and the IAEC first responders. One of the main goals of this collaboration is to establish a national capability to analyze forensic evidence that contains radioactive materials. The forensic analysis includes conventional forensic analysis, such as fingerprint and DNA extraction, and non-conventional analysis such as radioactive material measurement and characterization.

The investigation described here is the third event the laboratory has been involved in since its establishment in 2012, but it is the first time the laboratory assisted in a police investigation, as well as the first time the laboratory has developed fingerprints from radioactively contaminated evidence. Lessons learned from this investigation are currently being implemented to create a more streamlined and orderly procedure for fingerprinting radioactively contaminated evidence. In the future a DNA extraction capability is also planned to be developed.

This first police investigation to involve fingerprints development from a package containing radioactive material occurred in 2016. The package that was emitting gamma radiation was found in a public institution. It was brought to Soreq NRC, where the nuclear forensics team has developed fingerprints from the package and its content.

Before opening the package, the radioactive material contained in the package was identified as Thorium-232 at equilibrium with its decay products, with total activity of 5,900 Bq. It later turned out to be gas lantern mantles (25 in total).

The fingerprinting was conducted by the nuclear forensics laboratory team from Soreq NRC and from the Division of Identification and Forensic Science of the Israel Police. The fingerprinting took place in the radioactive laboratory at Soreq NRC, using equipment and materials brought by the police officers. The fingerprints development was conducted according to police protocols in order to make the fingerprints acceptable as evidence.

The package wrap was submitted to the regular fingerprint detection sequence for non-absorbing surfaces. The items that contained radioactive material were developed by mobile cyanoacrylate fuming cell at Soreq NRC.