Truck Found Minus Most Cyanide
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MEXICO CITY — Mexican police found a stolen truck on Thursday that had been carrying 10 tons of sodium cyanide, but most of the deadly chemicals were missing.
Authorities discovered the truck abandoned along a highway in Zacatlan, about 120 miles southeast of Mexico City in the state of Puebla.
Only about half a ton of the cyanide, contained in barrels, was still inside the truck and investigators were searching for the remainder, police said.
One barrel had been opened, sparking concerns of a health hazard. But officials found no evidence of contamination, said Frederico Perez, director of police in neighboring Hidalgo state.
No one has been arrested in connection with the truck robbery, which took place last Friday. Police were seeking information about three armed men who witnesses say stole the vehicle, Perez said.
Sodium cyanide is used in gold and silver mining.
If inhaled or ingested, it attacks the nervous system and can cause a person to suffocate within minutes.
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