Catania: 700 home-made explosive devices seized

The Italian State Police apprehended two individuals, aged 36 and 37, in Catania. The pair had 640 home-made explosive devices (HME), informally termed ‘Sinner bombs’ after the Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner. According to the State Police, these devices were cylindrical, enclosed in orange casings, and capable of lethal range. A subsequent search of the men’s residences by law enforcement officials led to the discovery of an additional 110 ‘Sinner bombs’, in addition to a firearm and ammunition of a military-grade. The materials utilised in the fabrication of the HME devices, along with the premises employed for their production, were promptly confiscated by the authorities. One of the individuals had converted a section of his residence into an illicit workshop for the fabrication of explosive devices to utilise during the forthcoming New Year’s festivities. The quantity of seized firecrackers had the potential to produce devastating effects on people and property, as the ignition of one could have initiated a chain reaction, according to the ‘Nucleo Artificieri’ (Bomb Disposal Unit), which responded to the scene. Following apprehension on charges of carrying a concealed ordnance in public and possession of arms, the two males were remanded into custody.