Forgotten Explosives Discovered at Sydney Airport

An explosive training device left behind by the Australian National Police was found in a bag at Sydney Airport.

Police in Australia apologized on Thursday after it was revealed they had left plastic explosives in luggage at Sydney Airport (SYD) for more than three weeks after completing a training exercise.

According to a report from Bloomberg, on August 14, an 8-once explosive device was left at SYD in an unclaimed suitcase by a canine instructor of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). A spokesman from the AFP said the explosives inside were neither live nor dangerous.

A statement from the AFP confirmed that the bag containing the explosives was found Tuesday after a passenger was given a piece of luggage by SYD staff as a replacement for her own bag, which was damaged inflight.

The passenger discovered the device when she got home that evening, and she immediately took it to Cessnock Police Station. The station was temporarily evacuated out of precaution.

“On behalf of the AFP, I would like to thank the woman, her family and New South Wales Police, especially officers at Cessnock Police Station, for their assistance in this matter,” AFP SYD Commander Wayne Buchhorn said in the statement.

“The canine instructor who inadvertently left this device behind has been identified and will be the subject of a formal Professional Standards Investigation,” Buchhorn added.

The response from the AFP also stressed the importance of canine units, stating:

Canines are trained to detect currency, drug and explosive odors. They play an integral role in aviation security and support broader AFP investigations, helping to keep the Australian public safe.

[Photo: iStock]