Drone, Possibly Radioactive, Is Found at Office of Japan’sPM

Drone, Possibly Radioactive, Is Found at Office of Japan’s Prime Minister


Investigators gathered around a small drone, covered with blue sheets, that was found on the roof of Prime Minister Shizo Abe's official residence in Tokyo on Wednesday. Credit Tsuyoshi Ueda/Kyodo News, via Associated Press

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TOKYO — A small propeller-driven drone possibly tainted with radioactive cesium was discovered Wednesday on the roof of the prime minister’s office, unsettling officials who said they were reviewing antiterrorism measures in response.



The officials said they did not know who had flown the drone, which was about two feet in width with four propellers. The also said they did not know how long the drone had been on the roof. No injuries or damages were reported. The Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was in Indonesia to attend an Asian-African summit meeting when the drone was discovered.



The police in Tokyo said that the drone was carrying a camera and a bottle of unidentified liquid that bore a sticker with the universal symbol for radioactivity.


A drone that crashed on the grounds of the White House had evaded radar detection.

Credit US Secret Service

White House Drone Crash Described as a U.S. Worker’s Drunken Lark JAN. 27, 2015


The police also said traces of radioactive cesium were detected on the roof near the drone, though it was unclear if they came from the drone. Cesium is not usually found in nature, but large amounts of it were released into the atmosphere during the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.



Still, the discovery of radioactivity prompted concern about whether the drone might have been part of a terrorist attack. There was also speculation it could have been a protest against the Fukushima accident.



The Tokyo police said they were testing the liquid in the bottle for radioactivity, though they said the levels found on the roof were harmless to humans.



The discovery drew comparisons to an episode in Washington in January when a drone flown by an off-duty intelligence employee crashed on the White House lawn.



The police said it was unclear if the drone in Tokyo was intentionally landed on the roof of the prime minister’s office or if it had crashed. Local news reports said officials found the drone by chance when a tour was being given to new employees.



The top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, declined to comment when asked if the drone was being viewed as part of a terrorist act. However, he told reporters that the discovery had prompted the government to review its antiterrorism measures as Japan prepares for a summit meeting of world leaders next year and for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.



“There is a possibility that drones might be used for terrorist attacks,” Mr. Suga said. “Taking into consideration the latest incident, we will review the use of drones and measures against possible terrorist attacks using drones.”



Japan currently has no restrictions on the use of small, low-flying drones, estimated to total about 20,000 nationwide, the Kyodo News Agency said.


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