Thieves who stole radioactive material in Mexico ‘will, without a doubt, die’

The thieves who stole dangerous radioactive material from a truck in Mexico probably had no idea what they were taking and will ‘without a doubt die", authorities have said.

The cobalt-60 stolen as it was being transported from a hospital to a radioactive storage center was found along with the abandoned truck on Wednesday.

‘I believe, definitely, that the thieves did not know what they had; they were interested in the crane, in the vehicle," said Mardonio Jimenez from Mexico"s nuclear safety commission.

‘The people who handled it will have severe problems with radiation," he added.

‘They will, without a doubt, die."

Mexican officials have said no public health risk remains after the material was recovered following a nationwide manhunt.

Cobalt-60 can be used to make a ‘dirty bomb", where explosives are used to disperse the radiation.