Dirty bomb materials stolen in Mexico

[cartman]

This doesn't sound good. A truck carrying radioactive waste (Cobalt-60) from a hospital was stolen. They found the truck, but the cargo was gone.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/12/04/us-mexico-nuclear-iaea-idINBRE9B30J820131204

Cobalt-60 isn't an instantly deadly source of radiation, like plutonium or uranium, and it would be a source of terror and panic if a dirty bomb went off and cause years of problems.

[cartman]

Just saw an update that they found the stolen material.

edit: now there is a link

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_UN_MEXICO_RADIOACTIVE_THEFT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-04-18-50-10

[chadritt]

Im wondering if this was related to my phone doing an Emergency Alert test around 2

[DaddyTorgo]

This doesn't sound good. A truck carrying radioactive waste (Cobalt-60) from a hospital was stolen. They found the truck, but the cargo was gone.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/12/04/us-mexico-nuclear-iaea-idINBRE9B30J820131204

Cobalt-60 isn't an instantly deadly source of radiation, like plutonium or uranium, and it would be a source of terror and panic if a dirty bomb went off and cause years of problems.

Yawn. Even a dirty bomb of medical-grade cobolt 60 wouldn't be scary. I've seen others more knowledgeable than me say you'd be more likely to die from shrapnel from the bomb then to develop radiation-related illness from the cobalt 60.

Bunch of scare-mongering.

[molson]

And this apparently happened in an area where truck hijackings are common, even for Mexico.

[chesapeake]

A report in the Washington Post says that the hijackers will almost certainly die soon from radiation exposure because they couldn't resist the temptation to open Pandora's Box.

Certainly the punishment outweighs the crime, yet I find it hard to feel much sympathy for them. I guess because one assumes that a crime in Mexico is being perpetrated by members of Sinaloa, los Zetas or the Gulf Cartel, who, frankly, probably need more direct exposure to cobalt-60.

[molson]

A report in the Washington Post says that the hijackers will almost certainly die soon from radiation exposure because they couldn't resist the temptation to open Pandora's Box.

Certainly the punishment outweighs the crime, yet I find it hard to feel much sympathy for them. I guess because one assumes that a crime in Mexico is being perpetrated by members of Sinaloa, los Zetas or the Gulf Cartel, who, frankly, probably need more direct exposure to cobalt-60.

It sounds like from the location and manner by which this happened it was more likely common thieves, but I do like the idea of tempting the cartels with cobalt-60 laden trucks.

[cartman]

The six were quoted as saying "No me gusta".

News from The Associated Press (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_RADIOACTIVE_THEFT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-06-14-07-00)

[cartman]

From the "You can't make this up" files, they found things tying the suspects to the robbery in a house across the street from the 'Marie Curie Kindergarten'.

6 detained in Mexico theft of radioactive material - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/6-detained-in-Mexico-theft-of-radioactive-material-5041742.php)

[EagleFan]

Yawn. Even a dirty bomb of medical-grade cobolt 60 wouldn't be scary. I've seen others more knowledgeable than me say you'd be more likely to die from shrapnel from the bomb then to develop radiation-related illness from the cobalt 60.

Bunch of scare-mongering.

Tell that to the people that are in the hospital from the exposure.

[DanGarion]

Tell that to the people that are in the hospital from the exposure.

You mean the suspects?

[sterlingice]

From the "You can't make this up" files, they found things tying the suspects to the robbery in a house across the street from the 'Marie Curie Kindergarten'.

6 detained in Mexico theft of radioactive material - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/6-detained-in-Mexico-theft-of-radioactive-material-5041742.php)

I LOL'd :D

SI

[EagleFan]

You mean the suspects?

If that's what they are. Point being someone saying that it is nothing to worry about should mean that no one is in the hospital from it.