A stolen truck was recovered by authorities in Mexico on Wednesday along with its deadly load of radioactive waste. The truck was stolen by two thieves in the early morning of Tuesday December 3. The truck was carrying barrels of cobalt, a radioactive element normally used for medical purposes but which can also be used to make a so-called 'dirty bomb.' But according to CNN, Juan Eibenschutz, head of Mexico's National Commission for Nuclear Security and Safeguards (CNSN), reports that officials aren't sure if any of the dangerous material is missing.
The stolen radioactive waste was discovered in the township of Hueypoxtla in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is unclear whether the perpetrators of the robbery knew what they were making off with when they stole the truck. However, the container had been opened and as such, authorities have initiated serious security measures. "We are going to measure the levels of radiation to know up to what distance it is safe to approach the waste and enact the corresponding measures to secure this radioactive area," said Mardonio Jiménez, Operations Supervisor from the CNSN.
Mexican authorities informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the theft and confirmed that the waste was secured by measures which made the container very difficult to open - indeed it appears to have remained sealed. Cobalt-60 can be a dangerous material if released into the environment, and more dangerous still if harnessed to make a 'dirty bomb' which, according to the IAEA, "(if) detonated in a major city could cause mass panic, as well as serious economic and environmental consequences."
The US Department of Homeland Security also assisted with investigations.
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