Alleged Dirty Bomb Scheme Busted in S. Africa

Four men allegedly involved in the sale of radioactive materials suspected for use in a dirty bomb were arrested at a South Africa gas station, CBS News confirms.

The arrests were the results of a sting operation by international police forces in Pretoria. They were first reported in the Independent, a South African newspaper.

According to the report, police stormed the gas station and opened fire on the suspects, sending panicked customers and attendants fleeing. Authorities recovered amounts of Caesium-137, a radioactive isotope, but didn't find a larger device rumored to be available on the black market. The Caesium-137 could potentially be used for a dirty bomb.

"We don't know what these suspects' intentions were and we need to find the device quickly," a police official told the Independent.

The sting operation involved members of Interpol and a specialized South African tactical unit called the Hawks. Undercover law enforcement agents had infiltrated the alleged criminal organization involved in the bust.

Following the arrests, nuclear scientists conducted tests on the recovered material, confirming it was Caesium-137 but stating that there was no contamination in the area.