FBI Inquiry Sought in Possible Nuclear Theft

The FBI on Tuesday was asked to investigate the possible theft of nuclear materials from a weapons plant after an alarm was tripped in a special storage area, officials said.

The alarm went off at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant early Tuesday, and security personnel immediately began checking entrances and exits, said Carol Knapp-Ayers, a Department of Energy spokeswoman.

“The alarm went off in a building where special nuclear materials and other valuable materials are stored,” she said. She would not specify the type of materials stored in the area or if any were missing.