Well that was a quick turnaround. A truck that was stolen earlier on Tuesday that contained carbon 60, a radioactive isotope used in hospitals, has been recovered.
A Mexican official made sure to point out that due to the container being ditched in an empty lot, it did not pose any threat to the population of nearby Hueypoxtla, Fox News reports.
National Commission of Nuclear Safety and Safeguards Director General Juan Eibenschutz said, "Fortunately, there are no people where the source of radioactivity is." Though he said that the "radioactive source" is "very strong," he noted that as long as it was kept at least 500 yards from anyone, it could do no damage.
Still, hospitals have been put on alert to look out for anyone that comes in needing treatment for exposure to radioactivity.
Eibenschutz noted that every year Mexico sees about half a dozen radioactive material thefts, but they never turn out to be the focus of the heist. The thieves always were more interested in the transporting container or vehicle.
As previously reported, thieves made off with a Volkswagen truck that was carrying a container of cobalt 60 to a radioactive waste storage center when it was stolen.
It had been suggested that the truck, which featured an integrated crane, was the target of the heist and not the radioactive material contained inside.