Originally published on December 4, 2013 <br /><br />A truck carrying "dangerous" radioactive material used for medical treatments was stolen in Mexico on Monday. <br /><br />According to reports, the truck left Tijuana headed for the National Institute of Nuclear Investigation, in Ocoyoacac. <br /><br />Local media said the vehicle was a 2.5-ton Volkswagen Worker with an integrated crane.<br /><br />It carried cobalt-60, a radioactive material used to treat cancer, which was stored in a container. <br /><br />At around 1:30 a.m., after stopping at a gas station to rest, the driver was threatened by two gunmen.<br /><br />They forced him out of the vehicle, brought him to a vacant lot, tied his hands and feet and left him there while they escaped with the truck.<br /><br />Cobalt-60 can potentially be used to make a so-called "dirty bomb", in which conventional explosives are used to disperse radioactive material.<br /><br />According to local reports, inhalation of Cobalt-60 particles can cause damage to the central nervous system and body tissues and can be lethal after an exposure of longer than four minutes.<br /><br />According to Reuters, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has offered to assist Mexican authorities, who it said were searching for the material and had alerted the public.<br /><br />The Vienna-based U.N. nuclear body, did not give details on how much of the radioactive source was in the truck at the time it was stolen.<br /><br />Early this year the IAEA said that more than 100 incidents of thefts and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and radioactive material are reported annually, Reuters reported. <br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.<br /><br />For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:<br />https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:<br />http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Stay connected with us here:<br />Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS
