Explosives found days before political summit

Police in WA have been forced to transport dangerous chemicals away from where they may cause harm.

Commander Scott Higgins said Federal Police have been called in to trace the origin of the explosives haul. Source: News Limited

Commander Scott Higgins fronts the media yesterday after the revelation that the chemical found was the highly volatile explosive TATP. Picture: Marie Nirme Source: News Limited

The TRG Bearcat, which was used to transport the volatile TATP from Curtin House to Gloucester Park. Source: News Limited

A COUNTER terrorism expert believes the discovery of volatile explosives just days before world leaders meet in Perth for the Indian Ocean Rim Association summit is a "nasty coincidence."

Curtin University's Alexey Muraviev told PerthNow today the discovery raised additional security concerns for the event, which will see Foreign Ministers from countries such as India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia and Sri Lanka meet in Perth tomorrow, November 1.

Dr Muraviev said terrorists wanted symbolic targets and the IORA event could provide such an opportunity.

"Many of them (member countries) are engaged in counter-terrorism efforts and many countries of the Indian Ocean Rim are affected by ongoing high levels of terrorism activity," he said.

He said because Perth was not considered a high-risk terrorism target, there would have also been an added element of surprise in any attack plot.

Police today said they were not ruling out any line of inquiry after a second suspicious package was found underwater at the Leschenault estuary in Australind this morning.

Army bomb disposal experts have been called in to help dispose of explosives after another suspicious package was found in the estuary where a large cache of the volatile chemical compound TATP was discovered on Tuesday.

PerthNow understands the substance found in the water today was located at the end of the jetty, and heavily weighted.

It was similar in size to the one found on Tuesday.

It is understood specialist Navy divers and officers from the bomb squad will move the substance a short distance early tomorrow morning and then detonate it on land in a controlled explosion.

Earlier this afternoon a forensics police officer spent 15 minutes photographing evidence on the side of Old Coast Road, about 50m from the jetty.

It appeared to be a small piece of paper which was eventually bagged and taken away as evidence by the officer.

Police investigating the discovery of explosives in Australind. Photos Bohdan Warchomij Source: News Limited

Police say there are no "legitimate" reasons why someone would be in the possession of the highly dangerous chemical other than for criminal activities.

Following this morning's discovery what could be more of the highly explosive material, State Crime A/Commander Scott Higgins told a press conference that while police were still trying to establish what it was intended for, the substance is used in terrorist attacks.

Earlier police confirmed the material destroyed at Gloucester Park yesterday was TATP, or 'Mother of Satan', the volatile chemical used in the 2005 London bombings.

Police officers in Australind, where two suspicious packages have been found at the Leschenault estuary. Photos Bohdan Warchomij Source: News Limited

Acting Commander Higgins said police were not ruling out any line of inquiry and confirmed the Major Crime Squad is looking at a list of people but was not close to making an arrest.

He also said TATP had previously been found in other locations in Australia.

"There's a whole range of different possibilities (for why) from prank to the more sinister and those are the ones we are looking in to," he said.

"This is not an unknown material and it has been found in other locations on previous occasions.

"There's no information to indicate there is cause of concern (regarding threats).

"One of the things we are trying to work out is exactly what it was intended for and we don't know that yet. And that is the reason we are asking for the public's help."

Questioned by the opposition in parliament about the risk to the public during the operation to move the original cache of TATP from the city to Gloucester Park, Premier Colin Barnett said he would not disclose details of confidential briefings.

``This is an extremely serious situation. But it is confidential and you are not to use it politically,'' Mr Barnett said.

Second 'object' discovered

POLICE are investigating the discovery of a second "object" found in the Leschenault Estuary, near where a haul of volatile TATP chemical explosives were found on Tuesday.

Police divers made the discovery while sweeping the estuary this morning.

Meanwhile, Federal authorities have been drafted in to help investigate the first discovery of a large haul of chemical explosive in the estuary, which has been confirmed to be the highly-volatile TATP - also known as "Mother of Satan".

A large haul of TATP - the substance used in the London terrorist bombings in 2007 - had to be destroyed by bomb squad officers at Gloucester Park in the Perth CBD early yesterday.

Counter terrorism officers joined a major task force to investigate the origin of the chemical explosives which were hidden in water near Australind, 165km south of Perth.

Senior police say nothing is being ruled out in determining what the explosives could have been used for, including a terrorist attack.

State Crime Commander Scott Higgins says federal police are helping to try and trace the origin of the large haul.

"We are treating it as TATP," Commander Higgins told ABC radio. "We had enough to cause real damage to people and property. The amount we had was very dangerous."

Bunbury Councillor Brendan Kelly said the community was shocked to hear about the discovery of explosives in a popular recreational area.

"There's a lot of curiosity amongst the local folk. They are as curious about getting to the bottom of it as anybody," Mr Kelly said.

"It is quite serious because the substance isn't a benign substance and the area that the package was found is a community area.

"People walk down that way, they walk along the jetty. It's not as if it was found out in the middle of nowhere.

"The community is waiting to see what the outcome is. It's something you would read about on the international news, not sleepy old greater Bunbury."

Police have also set up an information van at the Australind jetty where the substance was found and called on the public to come forward with any information.

Acting Commander Higgins said the amount of chemicals discovered was enough to cause "real damage to people and property."

"We're trying to work out a number of different aspects of this. Where did it come from, who made it, why was it there and what was the purpose of the material?

"We're asking for information that the public may have, no matter how potentially insignificant.

"Someone may have seen someone, noticed people purchasing different types of chemicals, or glassware or unusual smells. Or people might have been at the jetty and seen someone doing something unusual around that area."

Acting Commander Higgins said police were investigating all possible motives for the production of the explosive substance, including the most "sinister and dangerous".

"It's important that we look at all possible avenues from where this came from. We don't want people closing their minds down to one particular reason why it was there," he said.

"From people doing this for a prank, through to really serious criminal offences."

Premier Colin Barnett said while the discovery was disturbing, it was also being handled well.

"It is a serious situation that is being handled by the WA police and federal authorities," Mr Barnett said.

"However there is no reason for concern for the wider community. The police are in control of it and there is a detailed investigation taking place."

The drama began late on Tuesday when a member of the public found the haul near a groyne in the estuary near Bunbury.

Police were called, and after initially believing the chemicals were drug-making ingredients, transported them from the southwest to Perth.

But after realising their error, a major operation was launched. In five separate trips, the chemicals were delicately driven from police headquarters to the Gloucester Park racetrack where they were buried and detonated.

State security officers, chemical experts and major crime squad personnel will probe the case at state command centre premises last used during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2011.

TATP is a crystalline explosive which can be manufactured from household ingredients.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Explosives found days before political summit

Dengan url

https://budayacreatip.blogspot.com/2013/10/explosives-found-days-before-political.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Explosives found days before political summit

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Explosives found days before political summit

sebagai sumbernya