Police divers continuously search the waterways surrounding Burbury, in an attempt to decipher the significance of two suspicious packages hidden under the Leschenault Estuary. The search focused on the areas surrounding the Leschenault jetty, close to where the second package of explosive was discovered.
The two packages were originally thought to contain drugs, but instead contained triacetone triperoxide, or TATP. This was proven when a police officer suffered minor chemical burns while conducting presumptive testing on the substance, thinking it was a drug.
TATP is a highly explosive powder than has been previously linked to terrorist attacks and suicide bombings, such as the 2005 London bombings which killed 25 people. Its whitish hue and powdery form make it appear similar to the drug methamphetamine. Since the incident, the police have carefully extracted the packages, and have safely detonated them in Gloucester Park.
Investigators are still trying to work out from who and where the packages of explosive came, and for what purpose they are intended. While there is still no credible intelligence concerning a coordinated attack, the possibility exists that the target and the purpose for the explosives are somehow connected to the upcoming Indian Ocean Rim Conference and its attending delegates.
Divers are also conducting what are called ‘clearance operations’ to ensure the safety of the people living near the area.
Phil Newsum is the Executive Director of the Association of Diving Contractors International, a non-profit organization concerned with issues related to commercial diving and commercial divers. Visit the ADCI website at www.adc-int.org for more information.
