Explosives are legally used in Mining and Construction. Sadly though, explosives also sometimes find their way into the hands of criminals, hidden away and then found by innocent members of the community.
The SPECIAL Operations Group (SOG) recently received information of the whereabouts of commercial explosives and managed to secure two cartridges of Explogel V10 which were found hidden in a gutter in Alberton. The scene was later handed over to the SAPS Bomb Disposal Unit.
Explogel is a South African manufactured mining and civil explosive normally used for shaft sinking, surface and quarry mining and works particularly well in colder conditions.
These explosives are believed to be most likely intended for ATM bombings or a CIT van.
All information received by SOG is treated in extreme confidence and acted on swiftly.
Du Toit Lambrechts, chief executive officer at SOG, advised the community to be vigilant when they come across explosives.
“Typical devices normally found in urban areas include keepsakes from the border warlike hand grenades, mortars, large calibre munitions and industrial explosives, as was found in this case,” he said.
What not to do
Du Toit Lambrechts gave out the following steps, should the public come across any suspicious device:
- Do not touch, move or even “inspect” the device.
- Do not assume that it is safe to handle.
- Isolate or cordon off the area where the device is – bearing in mind that the blast radius will probably be a lot bigger than you think. (Your security company should be able to assist you in this. If they fiddle with the device, it will help to keep the gene pool clean)
- Notify local SAPS and specify that you suspect it to be an explosive device and give them a description if possible.
- Await the arrival of the SAPS and point the device out to them.
- The SAPS will notify the bomb disposal unit and take over the scene.
Recognition to Alberton Record
