Plastic based deadly explosive used in Delhi blast
September 7th, 2011 - 8:50 pm ICT by IANS New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Terrorists may have used hard-to-detect plastic-based explosive PETN in Wednesday’s Delhi High Court blast — the same substance used in the underwear bomb plot on a 2009 Northwest Airlines Flight 253 and by the ’shoe bomber’..
Sharing details of the “preliminary” investigations, Secretary Internal Security U.K. Bansal told reporters that traces of pentaerythritol trinitrate (PETN) have been recovered from the blast site.
“But this is the result of preliminary investigation. Rigorous investigations are in progress,” Bansal said, indicating that the explosive traces found were not conclusive.
PETN is one of the most powerful explosives and is difficult to detect. Because of its plastic nature, the explosive can easily pass metal detectors. Even bomb-sniffing dogs cannot detect it because of its low pressure molecules.
The explosive allows terrorists to use only small quantities with enormous damages. Even 100 grams of PETN is enough to blast away a car.
The colourless crystals of PETN were used by terrorist Richard Reid, commonly known as the ’shoe bomber’, on an American Airlines jet to Miami in 2001.
Al Qaeda operative Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab also concealed this explosives in his underwear when he unsuccessfully tried to detonate a bomb in Northwest Airlines Flight 253, also known Christian Day bomb plot, in 2009.
Same explosive was also found in two cargo planes from Yemen to the US in October 2010.
Bansal said PETN is “an explosive of choice for terrorists” if they can lay their hands on it.
The remnants of the high court bomb were being analysed in a forensic laboratory, he said.
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- No consensus on explosives used in Delhi blast - Sep 10, 2011
- Explosive found on US-bound planes were used in past Qaeda plots: NYT - Oct 31, 2010
- No breakthrough in Delhi terror attack a week later - Sep 13, 2011
- Suspicious Packages In U.S. Bound Flights Contained PETN Explosive - Oct 30, 2010
- Explosion by "Underwear Bomber" could not have blown up plane - Mar 11, 2010
- Delhi blast: Investigators still grappling for clues, toll 13 - Sep 08, 2011
- PETN Explosive Used In NWA 253 Blast Attempt - Dec 27, 2009
- Charges filed against US airplane case terrorist suspect - Dec 27, 2009
- 11 killed, 91 injured as terror returns to Delhi - Sep 08, 2011
- Al-Qaeda could have bombs surgically implanted in UK - Feb 01, 2010
- 'Explosive in underwear could have blown hole in airplane' - Dec 29, 2009
- Mumbai bombs may have been deadly cocktail of explosives - Jul 14, 2011
- Flurry of email claims confound Delhi blast case - Sep 10, 2011
- US files charges against Nigerian terrorist suspect (Lead) - Dec 27, 2009
Tags: american airlines, american airlines jet, bansal, bomb plot, cargo planes, delhi high court, explosive traces, farouk, forensic laboratory, internal security, metal detectors, northwest airlines, northwest airlines flight, petn, plastic nature, preliminary investigation, qaeda operative, richard reid, shoe bomber, small quantities