Thai police seize powergel bars, explosives in cement plant raid

Thai police seize powergel bars, explosives in cement plant raid
18 May 2007


Crime Suppression Division police seized 1700 bars of powergel explosives and detained three people in a raid on a cement company in Chalerm Prakiat district yesterday. The raid followed close on the heels of the seizure on Tuesday of a small amount of powergel in a room in Bang Phlat district of Bangkok rented by the nephew of an anti-Thaksin activist.


In yesterday’s raid, police also found 101 detonators, and 24 packs of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.


The powergel bars each weighed 400g, while the fertiliser weighed a total of 600kg.


The whole cache was found in a garbage facility in the compound of Cemex (Thailand) company, a cement factory located on Highway 21 linking Saraburi with Lop Buri province. 


Central Investigation Bureau commander Pol Lt-Gen Montri Chamroon said it was the biggest haul of such explosives in five years.


The company is thought to have been storing the explosive for use in quarrying.



Published under Cement News