Powerful Explosives Seized From Tsuen Wan Factory

The police say the seizure of a cache of extremely powerful explosives they found in an industrial building in Tsuen Wan is the largest they have made in the city.

Officers arrived at the Lung Shing Factory building on Texaco Road on Friday night to investigate after receiving a tip-off.

They say they found some explosives, 10 incendiary devices, and some weapons in a unit inside the building. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing explosives.

“We are dealing with a homemade laboratory for the manufacture of high explosive, especially TATP – triacetone triperoxide. This is an extremely sensitive and extremely powerful high explosive,” said Alick McWhirter, a senior bomb disposal officer with the police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau.

“It will cause exceptional amounts of damage when used. It is also very unstable, and it will react to heat, friction and impact.”

About a kilogramme of the explosives were detonated on Saturday morning. McWhirter said more controlled detonations, involving another kilogramme of the explosives, would be carried out later on Saturday.

The police said they also found some anti-extradition bill banners, and clothes labelled “Hong Kong National Front”, which is a pro-independence group.

The Hong Kong National Front later confirmed on its Facebook page that the arrested man is one of their members. However, the group said it did not know why there were explosives in the unit, and it was only used to store audio equipment and promotional materials.

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