Carpio‑Domínguez, José Luis, Lampkin, Jack ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5104-8758 and Castro‑Salazar, Jesús Ignacio (2024) Radioactive isotopes theft in Mexico during 2011–2023: a green criminological approach. Crime Prevention and Community Safety. pp. 1-23.

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Abstract

In the last decade, cases of radioactive isotope theft have been observed more frequently in Mexico, endangering human health, biodiversity, and the environment due to the risks of mishandling radioactive isotopes. The aim of this study was to analyze the theft of radioactive isotopes in Mexico in the period 2011–2023 from the perspective of green criminology through ofcial data and radiological emergency bulletins. The results show that the most frequently stolen isotopes were 192Ir, 137Cs, and 131I in this study period, and it was also identifed that the isotopes are stolen unintentionally, since it is the vehicles that transport them that are stolen, most of the time without knowing what they contain. It is concluded that the theft of
radioactive isotopes in Mexico is a crime linked to vehicle theft, which in turn stems from the conditions of public insecurity but puts the health, safety and well-being
of people, biodiversity, and the country’s ecosystems at risk, so that institutional actions must be oriented considering the conditions of public insecurity to improve
nuclear safety in the country.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.1057/s41300-024-00215-6
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
School/Department:	York Business School
Institutes:	Institute for Social Justice
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/10521

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