A HIGH School teacher has been charged after four bombs, including one packed with nails and razor blades, were found at a home in Brisbane's north. Police won't rule out the possibility that the bombs and 10 detonators found at the property were being stockpiled for a terrorist attack.Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Wilson said the detonators, which were not yet attached to the bombs, would have allowed the devices to be set off remotely.
About 30 houses have been evacuated after police found the bombs while executing a search warrant on the home in Windrest Avenue, Aspley, before 7pm (AEST) yesterday.
Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Wilson said the man was employed as a schoolteacher at Ferny Grove State High School, in Brisbane's north-west. The school was searched using bomb sniffer dogs as a precaution last night, and was evacuated and searched again this morning. Supt Wilson said the 40-year-old teacher had been charged with fraudulently obtaining 53kg of an explosive known as powergel, of which about a fifth had been converted into bombs.
The man will face court later today, where it will be alleged he was involved in a "forgery" to obtain the powergel. Queensland police, working with federal authorities, are profiling the teacher. "We have not ruled out any type of investigation concerning this particular incident," Supt Wilson told reporters.
"At this stage we are profiling the person, the background, the explosive devices, the creation of those devices, and we are working with our other state and federal agencies, both law enforcement and explosives experts, in relation to what we have discovered.
"At this stage inquiries are continuing."
Supt Wilson said powergel could not be bought without going through a "process" and the search was sparked following a joint investigation with the Department of Mines and Energy. "As a result of the intelligence obtained from that, we discovered there was a forgery (which enabled him to buy the powergel), it will be alleged," Supt Wilson said.
Powergel is described on internet websites as specifically designed for use in "wet blasthole conditions". It is a particularly stable explosive, often used in deep mining.
An elderly woman, believed to be the man's mother, was in the home at the time of the police raid. Neighbour and mother-of-four Sharyn Sneddon said she and her husband had grown suspicious of the man. She alleged she saw him transport five large plastic barrels in his car about eight weeks ago. "We saw them in the back of his car ... 30 litre plastic barrels with the lids on them," she said. "(He was a hoarder) all the time - the car was always chock-a-block."
Lilly Boccalatte, who lives across the road from the house, said her husband saw the man walking down the street with rubber gloves on at the weekend "but didn't take much notice of it". "He lived with his elderly mum and his mum seemed harmless enough," she said. Supt Wilson said all the devices had been made safe, but an extensive room-by-room search of the house, vehicles, a shed and the yard was being made.
No mention of his name, so he's either a muslim or a nut.