Nearly a dozen pipe bombs, some of which appear to have already detonated, have been discovered on footpaths and in parkland in Canberra, prompting a major police investigation and urgent public safety warnings.
ACT Policing confirmed on Thursday that 11 suspected pipe bombs had been located along a one-kilometre stretch of footpath near Lake Ginninderra in the city’s north-west. The first device was found by a member of the public earlier this week, with further discoveries made over the past two days.
Detective Acting Inspector Anna Wronski of ACT Policing said authorities were taking the discoveries extremely seriously, although there was no indication at this stage that the devices were linked to terrorism.
“We do not want members of the public to pick them up. We do not want members of the public to bring them to police stations. We want them to call triple zero immediately,” Wronski said, urging anyone who encounters a similar object to keep a safe distance and contact emergency services.
According to police, several of the devices were found intact, while others had been partially destroyed, suggesting they had detonated before being discovered. Investigators do not believe anyone was injured when the explosions occurred.
“A number of the devices have been located intact, and a number have been located partially destroyed,” Wronski said. “Any explosive is dangerous. That’s why we’re taking it so seriously. An explosive in a public place does raise a lot of concern for police.”
Wronski said it was unclear how long the pipe bombs had been in the area before being found and whether more devices remained undiscovered. Police cordoned off sections of the footpath and surrounding parkland as specialist officers conducted searches and rendered the items safe.
Images released by police show silver, tube-shaped objects resembling short sections of metal pipe, capped at both ends. In one image, what appears to be a fuse protrudes from one of the caps.
