Reportedly a stolen shipment of radioactive Cobalt 60 was recovered Wednesday in Mexico, but thieves who took the material probably exposed themselves to a lethal dose of radiation when they removed it from a protective case.
The Washington Post said the cargo was found near the town of Hueypoxla, about 25 miles from where a truck carrying the material was hijacked.
Authorities believe the thieves wanted the vehicle, not the cargo, when they hijacked the truck as it was moving the radioactive material from a Tijuana hospital. The theft, however, set off fears that it might be used by terrorists to make a dirty bomb.
When initial news of the theft spread, the International Atomic Energy Agency warned of the dangers of the cargo.
“At the time the truck was stolen, the source was properly shielded,”
the agency said. “However, the source could be extremely dangerous to a
person if removed from the shielding, or if it was damaged.”
Shipment of radioactive cargo recovered in Mexico
