Police in (the southwestern U.S. state of) Arizona say explosives missing for several days from the Phoenix international airport were found Monday alongside a road more than 12 kilometers away.

The explosives had been used in police canine training exercises Friday at the airport. They were in a small container of a type used to carry cold beverages.

A Phoenix police spokesman said the explosives were the same type used in the mining industry and are considered extremely stable.

The explosives would have required a certain level of expertise to detonate and their disappearance was not considered a security breach at the airport.