INTERPOL issues global 'orange' alert on explosives

Published November 8, 2010 3:31pm

The International Police Organization (INTERPOL) has made public the details of improvised explosives disguised as packages, which were used in a failed terror attack on the United States last month. In the Philippines, the Philippine National Police posted the INTERPOL "orange notice" on its website, asking the public to be vigilant to such potential threats. "Public (is) urged to remain vigilant to potential threats," the PNP said on its website Monday afternoon. Created in 2004, the INTERPOL Orange Notice is used to warn police, public entities and other international organizations of potential threats related to disguised weapons, explosives and other dangerous materials. It can also be issued by the General Secretariat for any act or event which poses a risk to the safety and security of citizens around the globe. To date, nearly 100 Orange Notices have been issued, said an INTERPOL statement dated Nov. 6, 2010. In its latest notice, the INTERPOL listed the features and components of improvised explosive devices discovered in Dubai and England in transit from Yemen to the US. "The information contained in this Orange Notice will allow police services and other law enforcement agencies to take all appropriate measures to identify potentially lethal devices, and we particularly thank the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Police for their close co-operation in this regard," said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble. "Given that these devices were hidden inside what appeared to be normal packages, an unrestricted version of the Orange Notice has also been published by INTERPOL. We have seen on many occasions that vigilance by members of the public can be crucial in alerting law enforcement to potential threats, as evidenced by the arrest of the Times Square bomb suspect in May this year in New York," added Noble. He said what is clear is that vigilance and information sharing are essential, and it is INTERPOL's primary mission to ensure that the information needed to help protect citizens and secure borders is where it needs to be. "The decision to share information via INTERPOL means that each of our 188 member countries can benefit from the thorough investigations being carried out by all of the affected countries, which may prove vital in assisting global law enforcement prevent future attacks," he said. The indicators of a suspected explosive letter or package include: Packaging:

Packaging may feel unbalanced or display an uneven weight;

Excessive use of tape to seal package;

Oily stains, discolouration or markings on wrapper;

Strange odor;

Protruding wires; and

Excess postage paid. Labeling:

Invalid or no return address;

Package addressed to a title only, not a named individual; and

Address may be misspelled, badly typed or out of date. Source:

Source country should be taken into consideration, but is not necessarily a reliable indicator. Internal indicators:

Are the listed contents consistent with the weight of the package? Extra care and precaution is advised for mixed content packages, particularly those containing devices that could be employed as an initiator. These include alarm clocks, mobile telephones, pagers, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Suspect package indicators:

Heavy use of FEDEX, DXB (Dubai) Hub (white) and Falcon Aviation Services (purple) tape used to seal carton; and

Anomalies within the address label. Carton contents include:

Personal clothing, ornaments, compact discs and papers; and

One HP Laserjet printer containing an improvised explosive device. The INTERPOL said the explosive used in these devices, PETN, is a white crystalline powdery substance that is a very powerful explosive. It can be detonated either by a chemical reaction causing extreme heat or a shockwave (detonator). "The explosive material in these devices was generally not detectable using standard x-ray equipment; however there are available detection means such as Airport 'puffer' machines, presumptive swabbing tests, and bomb-sniffing dogs," it said. If detected, PETN and all other explosive material should be addressed by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), while pure PETN should be handled in accordance with an official Material Safety Data Sheet or Chemical Sampling Information (CSI) for PETN, it added. "If detected, assume that the device is fully functional," it said. â€” RSJ, GMANews.TV

Tags: interpol, terrorism