Pamplona (EFE).- The Civil Guard of Navarra and the Foral Police, within the framework of the “Arquímedes” operation, have dismantled a clandestine laboratory for the manufacture of explosives such as amonal, black powder or thermite in a town in the Pamplona region , from the synthesis of precursor substances.
The explosives precursors, these police forces have reported, are chemical substances that can be used for the homemade manufacture of explosives, so for their legal purchase it is necessary to have a license from the Ministry of the Interior.
The investigations began after the arrest of a man for an episode of ill-treatment in the family, which led to the creation of a joint investigation team of the Civil Guard and Provincial Police.
In a search at the man’s home, all the necessary elements for the manufacture of explosives were found. These are precursor substances, chemicals, finished artifacts, detonators, chemical formulas, and laboratory supplies such as pipettes, flasks, thermometers, and beakers.
TATP or “Mother of Satan”
With the products seized in the clandestine laboratory, artisanal explosives could have been made, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP), ammonal, black powder and thermite, all of them very dangerous and highly destructive.
The TATP, also known as the “Mother of Satan”, an explosive commonly used by Islamist terrorist groups, stands out for its danger.
The investigation, these police forces consider, has made it possible to determine that the person investigated had acquired the necessary knowledge for the manufacture of explosives through manuals and video tutorials downloaded from the Internet.
Likewise, numerous photographs and videos taken by himself have been located, in which he explains the manufacture of explosives and the results of the tests carried out with them.
Reported several establishments
It has also been possible to identify several establishments located in different Spanish provinces that had sold the explosives precursors to the detainee, for which they have been denounced.
With this operation, the Civil Guard and the Foral Police highlight, not only has the sale of explosives on the black market been prevented, but “the enormous risk to the life and physical integrity of both the detainee himself and the of the relatives who lived with him at home.
The investigation has been coordinated by the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 1 of Aoiz.