BOSNIAN EMBASSY ASKS
FRENCH POLICE FOR DETAILS ON RECENT SEMTEX SEIZURE
BBC Monitoring International Reports - April 9, 2005
Text of report by S. Karic: "Bosnia-Hercegovina authorities have no knowledge
of confiscation of powerful explosive", published by Bosnian Serb newspaper
Nezavisne novine on 8 April.
Paris/Sarajevo - The B-H [Bosnia-Hercegovina] Embassy in Paris has received no
official report on the recent seizure in northern France of 100 kilograms of
Semtex explosives smuggled from B-H, the B-H Embassy has confirmed for Nezavisne
Novine yesterday.
The B-H Embassy said it had heard about the report from the French media. "We
have contacted the French police and asked for details," they said.
After obtaining an official report from the French authorities, the embassy said
it would inform the B-H Foreign Ministry. The B-H State Investigation and
Protection Agency yesterday had no information on the event either.
The explosive is manufactured in the Czech Republic and well-known in terrorist
circles. Experts say that Semtex has enormous destructive power, with 200 grams
sufficient to blow up an airplane. They say the explosive is soft, odorless, and
therefore undetectable by police or regular customs X-ray devices, making it a
favourite among terrorists.
Besides the Semtex variety, the American variety C4 is widely used as well - a
military plastic explosive that was used in several terror attacks worldwide.
According to French media, police discovered the explosives in a truck that it
stopped near the French-Belgian border. Seven persons were arrested whose
nationalities have not been disclosed. Police have estimated that the explosives
are worth 4,000 euros per kilogram on the black market.
Media say that the explosives were conveyed via truck from B-H, through Croatia,
Slovenia, Austria, Germany, and Belgium, to France, where the truck was
eventually stopped and the explosives discovered by local investigating bodies.
Source: Nezavisne novine, Banja Luka, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 8 Apr 05 p 2
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