Stolen radioactive canister recovered at North End scrapyard

A dangerous canister reported stolen earlier this week was found at a scrapyard in North End on Tuesday morning.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said the scrapyard dealer had reached out to the owners of the canister, which holds a highly toxic substance, using the contact numbers provided on circulated flyers.

The red container, which contained a radioactive isotope called Iridium-192, was stolen from a vehicle parked at a guest house in Sydenham on Friday.

The owners, a welding business in KwaZulu-Natal, issued a poster offering a cash reward for its retrieval.

The poster labelled the device as extremely dangerous, causing residents to panic.

Iridium-192 is an atom with an unstable nucleus, making it radioactive.

This means it emits radiation, which can be hazardous in excessive amounts.

Beetge said, according to the dealer, a man had tried to sell the item to him, but when the dealer began questioning him, the man had fled.

“The canister was fetched from the scrapyard by its owners,” Beetge said.

“They said it didn’t seem to have been tampered with.

“Anyone with information that would assist in finding the suspect/s involved should contact the police.”

The company uses the isotope for conducting X-ray welding inspections.

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