Recovered fertilizer quashes G20 bomb fears
SOURCE
Jun 09 2010
The dramatic search for the mystery man who bought about 1,500 kilograms of fertilizer — enough to make a major bomb — ended late Wednesday after he contacted investigators.
The ammonium nitrate was recovered from two locations in Toronto. Police officers with the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, which is responsible for the coming G20 summit, said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the purchase.
Officers were tight-lipped about why the man had bought such a large quantity of fertilizer, but said no charges are expected to be laid.
Toronto Police Staff Supt. Jeff McGuire told CP24 Wednesday night it looked like “a gardening incident.”
The recovery of the ammonium nitrate was an anticlimactic end to a day in which RCMP officers held an unusual news conference and released three variations of a composite sketch of the man wanted in the case.
RCMP’s anti-terrorist unit took over the search for the man, who bought the large amount of ammonium nitrate on May 26 from Vineland Growers Cooperative in Lincoln, Ont.
The purchase set off alarm bells — first because the amount of fertilizer was so large and also because Vineland Growers didn’t get the man’s identification details after he gave the impression he was a regular customer.
Regulations require anyone who buys ammonium nitrate to be identified. Purchasers of bulk quantities are supposed to have registered account numbers and be able to show proof they’re legitimate farmers, which can mean showing membership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Investigators were concerned because although ammonium nitrate is commonly used for farming, it can also be used as an ingredient to make a bomb, said RCMP Sgt. Marc LaPorte.
He had said there was concern “because of the upcoming events in Huntsville and Toronto. We’re taking this potential threat seriously.”
The police asked for the public’s help in finding the man after initial canvassing of the region failed to provide any leads.
But the man, who has not been identified, approached the investigators soon after his sketch was shown on TV and posted on news websites.
Ben - So I guess the "heavy accent and missing two fingers" weren't what they seemed to be ... heck, the missing fingers could have even been the result of "a gardening incident."
