A thief must have been in for quite a surprise when he discovered the car he stole from a gym parking lot contained a nuclear detector containing radioactive material, and he was actively wanted by police in North Vancouver.
The Mazda 6 in question was stolen from the parking lot of a fitness center in British Columbia Township around 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday, the North Vancouver section of the Royal Mounted Police of Canada (RCMP) said in a news release.
“A nuclear soil moisture density meter was stolen with the vehicle, which could pose a health risk to the person who stole it,” police emphasized.
This type of equipment is used to measure parameters such as thickness, density or even moisture in materials containing radioactive materials. This measuring device can be used in construction and other industrial sectors.
The device that was in the stolen car is a Troxler 3430 with a small amount of radioactive material that can still expose a person to radiation when handling it.
“A person may begin to feel the effects of radiation after 24 hours of exposure to a measuring device that has not been stored properly,” the RCMP explained.
However, the measuring device does not produce enough radiation to pose a danger to the public.