Mexican police recover stolen drums of hand sanitizer gel
Police wearing face masks stand guard outside Mexico City’s World Trade Center, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Image: AP/Rebecca Blackwell
Detectives in Mexico said Tuesday they recovered a truck that was stolen while carrying 12 drums of hand sanitizer gel.
The alcohol-based gel has become a hot item during the coronavirus pandemic, and prices for it have risen drastically.
Federal detectives said the thieves stole a truck on a road in the State of Mexico, on the outskirts of Mexico City. The truck had a tracking device.
They later found the truck and its cargo — which also included auto parts — parked at a walled-off lot. The 12 55-gallon (200-liter) drums of hand sanitizer were also recovered. No arrests were made.
Security analyst Alejandro Hope noted that precisely because stores, factories and warehouses are often closed now, the few businesses that are operating may become targets. “I think they are going to start robbing businesses, or start targeting businesses that are doing well now, like medical supplies,” Hope said.
On April 3, Mexico’s National Guard caught one member of a gang that was trying to steal an entire tractor trailer carrying 15 tons of food on a highway in the state of San Luis Potosi. RGA
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