Authorities Searching For 500 Pounds Of Stolen Explosives Taken From Detroit-Bound Train

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Local and federal law enforcement investigators are searching in three states -- including Michigan -- for more than 500 pounds of explosives that were stolen from a CSX train this week.

The train was traveling from Chicago through Ohio on its way to Detroit and investigators believe the explosives were stolen somewhere along the route.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 32 cases were gone when the train car arrived in Detroit. Donald Dawkins, a special agent with the ATF, told WWJ Newsradio 950 that the explosives taken were commercial-grade fireworks.

"What we know is that we found a case of explosives in the southwest Detroit area by railroad," Dawkins said. "So we do know that we found a case here, that's what started us on this investigation."

Dawkins said that authorities aren't sure exactly when and where the theft occurred. The search will continue in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois, but Dawkins says there's a strong possibility that the missing explosives are in the Detroit area.

"There's an area when [the car] sits for a while," Dawkins said. "It was sitting for a while in certain locations, so we're trying to go through every location where it sat, how long it sat and that will lead us to maybe a closer area or closer state, city that we can kind of hone in, and it's maybe a good probability that it occurred here."

Dawkins said authorities have ruled out terrorism in the incident.

"It's commercial-grade and it's categorized as explosives because of the quantity of the explosive material that's in there," Dawkins said. "It's not safe for public handling."

The ATF's Detroit office and Detroit police are investigating the incident.

"This is very serious for us because you have 32 cases and they're somewhere, and they're missing," Dawkins said. "If it gets into the wrong hands you'll see a lot of injuries from that, so we're taking it very seriously."

CSX spokesperson Rob Doolittle said that the transportation company is cooperating with the federal investigation in this case.

"Safety at CSX is highest priority," Doolittle said. "CSX is committed to continuing to with the ATF and its investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of this incident."

Doolittle said there were about 100 cars on the train and that nothing else was stolen.

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