The Bahraini Chief of Public Security, Major-General Tariq Al Hassan condemned today the attempt to smuggle high explosives and explosive capsules that were foiled by Saudi security authorities. The Chief commended the alertness of the Saudi authorities and said Saudi officials had arrested the traffickers and that Bahrain's police had also launched a joint investigation. He stated that as part of the cooperative investigation into the attempt to smuggle "RDX" into Bahrain, a team of representatives from various authorities of the Interior Ministry was formed to work in coordination with their Saudi counterparts. In a statement issued by BNA, the Bahraini Chief announced that several houses of the suspects had been searched after warrants were obtained from the Public Prosecution . This led to the confiscation of materials suspected to be explosives, mobile phones, laptops, portable hard disks, cameras, Iranian mobile phone chips and Saudi, Jordanian and Iranian currencies. Five additional individuals suspected in the case were identified and arrested. Documents on bomb-making and military patrols were also found inside the homes. The investigation will continue until all suspects are identified and arrested. The Chief said that the items confiscated by the Saudi officials yesterday were similar to the materials that Bahrain police seized on a boat coming from Iraq on 28 December 2013 and through the King Fahad causeway on 15 March 2015. Suspects in both of those cases have been arrested. The Chief stressed that RDX is a highly explosive substance that is not easily available or easy to manufacture. He said that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia security officials are working together to pursue the remaining individuals involved in order to determine the scope of the operation. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain enjoy a high level of cooperation that has contributed to many successful investigations in the past, he added, stressing that further cooperation is required between friendly countries in the region in order face current security issues.
