NYC Police Find Stolen Cyanide
A cargo of potassium cyanide stolen more than a week ago was found Saturday in its original shipping containers and was recovered by a team of experts after the evacuation of three city blocks, officials said.
All 20 drums of the highly poisonous chemical were sealed and there were no leaks, a Fire Department spokesman said. A three-block area in the Bronx was evacuated while the Emergency Service Unit carefully removed the orange drums, which are the size of beer kegs.
CBS affiliate WCBS reports a trailer containing the cyanide was stolen from a New Jersey warehouse on May 4.
The trailer was found late Friday without a cab or license plates at an industrial park in Queens.
The orange drums were each marked with the number "1680," an industry-wide number used to identify the chemical, said Detective Joseph Pentangelo, a police spokesman. The combined value of the cyanide, which was in powder form, is roughly $3,800, he said.
Linden police had said earlier that the thieves were probably unaware of their deadly cargo.
New York City officials were first informed of the missing trailer on Thursday, said Richard J. Sheirer, the director of the city's Office of Emergency Management.
The World Health Organization says potassium cyanide could be used by terrorists, though Sheirer said, "we don't believe it's terrorists."
The FBI also was investigating.
Potassium cyanide is used in electroplating, a process employed to make silverware and jewelry, and can be fatal if inhaled or swallowed.
CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report