Here is one more example of how easily it could be for radioactive material can get into the wrong hands. Follow the link and it will take you to a
time line map showing many other examples.
Leonid Smirnov, the first known thief of weapons-grade fissile material in the world, was arrested by accident at the train station in Podolsk on
his way to Moscow. He was taken in with three friends suspected of an unrelated crime. Smirnov happened to be carrying three lead containers
containing over 1.5 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. Inspired by an article he read about uranium's purported street value in Komsomolskaya
Pravda, he had stolen it from the Luch Scientific Production Association, where he had worked for over 25 years. Luch carries out research and
development of nuclear reactors for spacecraft.
link to sorce and
time line