Durban - Police have said explosives recovered from an abandoned house in KwaZulu-Natal are generally used in mining.
Police had recovered Viper booster 150g BME and a total of 89 boosters during an operation in Mooi River on Friday evening.
On Saturday national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the officers from the Pietermaritzburg K9 Unit seized commercial explosives at an abandoned house in the Bruntville area in Mooi River.
“These explosives have been confirmed to be Viper boosters which are generally used in mining,” Naidoo said.
“Although, not confirmed yet, it is suspected that these explosive may have been intended for Automated Teller Machine bombings and/or cash-in-transit heists as similar explosives are known to have been used for this purpose before.”
Naidoo said the explosives are of a type that have been impounded previously as well.
He added that no arrests had been made with regard to the explosives and police were appealing to anyone who has any information to contact the SAPS on 086 00 10111. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence and callers may remain anonymous.
Earlier, the Daily News had reported that according to police reports, an informant gave police information on a location where a large quantity of explosives were being kept, allegedly to be used to blow up Mooi River Toll Plaza, following the court ruling that former president Jacob Zuma should return to prison.
According to the informant, the plan was to create chaos by targeting national key points in KZN.
Official police comment had not been received by the time the Daily News published the initial story.
Daily News