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CNN Live Today

Mexican Police Investigate Theft of 10 Tons of Cyanide

Aired May 16, 2002 - 13:27   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now as we said, uniforms disappearing may not have been a blip on the radar screen months ago, but how about 10 tons of missing cyanide? Certainly at any time that would. That is also the case today. A truck carrying the deadly chemical was stolen over the weekend north of Mexico City. And that's where we find CNN's Harris Whitbeck. He's standing by now live with details. Hello, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon. Federal police are investigating a tip they received on the location of a white truck in the Mexican State of Hidalgo. That's about 150 miles north of Mexico City. They do not know if this is the truck that was stolen on Friday, or if it is the truck, if it still contains those 10 tons of cyanide.

The police have been looking for it since the theft occurred on Friday. They are not, at this point, overly concerned that the trucks contents -- those ten tons of cyanide -- might be intended for use in some sort of terrorist plot. What they -- the premise that they are working from is that the thieves were more interested in the truck then in its contents.

But the police, of course, are very interested in trying to find those ten tons of cyanide. When you consider that two teaspoons of the stuff can kill an adult, you can imagine why the police are so interested in finding this huge amount of this very dangerous chemical compound -- Leon.

HARRIS: Definitely and we can understand that concern. Harris Whitbeck, thank you very much. We'll get back to you later on if there is any details on that.

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