Dirty bomb fears: URANIUM found hidden in shipment to Heathrow airport

A deadly shipment of uranium, seized at Heathrow Airport, is being investigated by counter-terror police and security services.

The nuclear material originated from Pakistan and arrived on a flight from Oman in the hold of a passenger jet.

The package is suspected of being destined for Iranian nationals in the UK.

A source told The Sun: “The race is on to trace everyone involved.”

The potentially lethal uranium was discovered by specialist scanners while it was being ferried to a freight shed, which triggered alarms.

Border Force agents moved in, isolating the unregistered shipment in a dedicated radioactive room.

A security probe was launched into who sent the cargo, while counter terror police were alerted.

The package arrived at Terminal 4 on an Oman Air jet from Muscat.

No arrests have been made, while cops were believed to be targeting an Iran-based firm with UK premises where the material was due to be delivered to mystery recipients.

The suspected plot was quashed on December 29, with a Heathrow source telling The Sun: “The race is on to trace everyone involved with this rogue non-manifested package.

“Security bosses are treating this with the seriousness it deserves. Protocol was not followed and this is now an anti-terror operation.

“There are very real concerns over what the Iranians living here wanted with non-disclosed nuclear material.”

Former commander of the UK’s nuclear defence regiment Hamish De Bretton-Gordon said: “For uranium to turn up on a commercial airliner from Pakistan to an Iranian address in the UK is very suspect.”

Officials are being assisted by security services in an ongoing effort to investigate the suspected plan.

They believe any immediate threat to the public has been prevented.