Explosives smuggling continues

Explosives seized by city police on Sunday night were to be used in making firecrackers, woman reveals.

ISLAMABAD: The explosives recovered by the city police on Sunday night were to be used in making crackers. This was revealed by the woman who was arrested by the police.

She said the explosives were being smuggled from Peshawar to Raja Bazaar Rawalpindi. Amriti Bibi, the suspected smuggler, had to hand over the consignment to the dealers in the bazaar. The woman claimed that the material was to be used for making crackers and other explosives normally used in fireworks.

However, police said the amount (130 kilogramme) was substantial enough to be used for making low-intensity bombs. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) experts told The Express Tribune that the explosives material could be easily turned into bombs which could be used in sabotage activities.

A series of cracker bombings had targeted schools in the federal capital earlier this year which had spread panic among the residents.

Jamil Hashmi, SP Industrial area, said the woman was arrested earlier last year for making a similar attempt to smuggle huge amount of explosives into the city. She had given Rs25, 000 to the driver and the conductor of the bus who had agreed to conceal the explosives in the rear of their vehicle bearing registration number C 1748 Swabi.

Bibi was taken under police custody on physical remand. She will be produced before a magistrate for sending her to jail on judicial remand
on Thursday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2010.