The man arrested in Burgos with a arsenal of 60 kilos of precursor products of explosives did not have the intention of provoking a terrorist attack or violent act, but rather it is a pyrotechnics fanatic with knowledge of making explosives.
“We are practically convinced that he did not want to cause damage to people or property. He was not a terrorist and he did not want to use these explosives in violent acts,” explained the captain of the Information group of the Burgos Civil Guard, Alejandro Hernandezin a press conference attended by the Government delegate in Castilla y León, Nicolas Sen.
The detainee, in provisional prison and without bail since this Monday, “he is a fanatic, a lover of explosive and pyrotechnic devices”who had worked in several pyrotechnics companies, had both the knowledge and the ability to manufacture explosives and produced his own homemade explosive devices.
In the searches carried out in two homes and a fish market, the Civil Guard has found more than 60 kilos of precursorswith a wide variety of chemicals and materials, which were stored without any security measureswhich could have caused an explosive atmosphere that caused them to explode accidentally.
It would only have been necessary a spark, a heat source, or even just the flipping of a switchaccording to the information provided to them by TEDAX, the unit specialized in explosives deactivation, which posed a risk that forced them to expedite the operation, which began in September 2023.
Even so, the head of the Burgos Civil Guard Command, Lieutenant Colonel Alfonso Martín, has assured that during the police operation There was no risk for the residents of Plaza San Brunowhere the fish market and the detainee’s home were located, so the possibility of an eviction was not considered.
Purchase of material online and abroad
Information about a man from Burgos who was looking for precursors of explosives to manufacture and sell at retail launched the so-called operation ‘Marco Polo’, which ended with the arrest of the 31-year-old man and a resident of the Gamonal neighborhood, and his sending to prison for the crimes of possession of explosives and drug trafficking.
Investigators discovered that the man had attempted to purchase precursors whose sale is prohibited to individuals in Spanish companiesbut also on the black market, and that received products through parcel delivery companies purchased abroad and through websites.
One of the movements that expedited the operation was the receipt of an order of 17 kilos. “We didn’t know what it contained, but we were very concerned that it had received more explosive precursors,” explained the captain, which was added to the fact that they knew that He was going to meet with other explosives lovers to try to make an 8 kilo device.
“We were very concerned about the danger it posed because we saw that he kept the explosives in a closed market inside a community garage, in a residential building” in the heart of Gamonal, he insisted, and that “there could be a tragedy” due to an explosion. accidental.
Drugs worth one million euros
Thus, on Friday night, taking advantage of an exit from the province to sell drugs, they arrested him in Lerma, where they caught 6 kilos of speed. On Saturday the searches were carried out, in which they found 25 kilos de speed and abundant documentation, in addition to the explosive material.
The captain of the Civil Guard has acknowledged that the detainee did not cooperate during the searches but he did warn of the existence of two lunch boxes with a dangerous mixture of explosive substances, which forced the police to intervene. TEDAXto whom he did show sympathy, “as if he felt flattered to be able to talk to someone who knew as much about explosives as he did”.
Alejandro Hernández explained that the detainee had not been trafficking drugs for a long time, but he had a “very significant” amount, and he indicated that with those 25 kilos of speed seized 100,000 consumer doses could have been prepared, with a market value of 1.090.000 euros.
A complex operation
The head of the Burgos Command has insisted on highlighting the complexity of the operation, which has eliminated a “serious risk” and has allowed the arrest of a “valuable” profile, in criminal terms, due to his high knowledge of explosives and the large accumulation of substances, which also come from the black market.
The Civil Guard knew the detainee, with a criminal record for domestic violence and breach of sentence, from his participation in the 2014 Gamonal riots; He has ties to the extreme left and, in addition, he signed his artifacts with a brand that has also appeared in around thirty graffiti in Burgos: a drawing of a hand grenade.
2024-03-06 10:21:14
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