By Steve Lipsher Article Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Denver Post Mountain Bureau
A cache of powerful explosives used for avalanche control was stolen from the Winter Park ski area over the weekend, prompting a full-scale investigation by local and federal authorities.
Ski resort workers discovered an undisclosed number of "Trojan Boosters" - large cylinders packed with the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate - missing from a locked storage shed on the mountain Monday morning.
"It's a high explosive, but no detonators were stolen, and this substance does require a detonator," said Grand County Undersheriff Glen Trainor. "Obviously, if somebody doesn't have a detonator, it's pretty useless. But if they do, it could be pretty catastrophic."
Officials from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms joined the investigation Tuesday, seeking clues as to who stole the explosives and why.
"We're conducting interviews with people who had access to the shed, and then anybody else who might have possible information of any suspects," Trainor said. "At this time, we don't have any reason to suspect that it was a Winter Park employee."
Authorities do say they believe the break-in was a deliberate quest for explosives and not a juvenile prank, but they are not aware of any specific threats or groups that would want the explosives.
"It's fairly easy to manufacture and fairly powerful," Trainor said. "So it has been a tool used by terrorists in the past."
Resort spokesman Matt Sugar said officials have "taken preventative measures" to ensure that the remaining explosives are secure.
"We are certainly concerned about our employees and the ski area, and we have let our employees know what happened," he said.
Although only what is considered to be a small amount of explosives was stolen, authorities have contacted the joint terrorism task force for the region, Trainor said. Culprits likely would be charged with second-degree burglary, a felony, he said.
Authorities ask that anyone with information about the theft call 888-ATF-BOMB or Grand County Crimestoppers at 970-725-3226.
Selene, do you recall your post to me last week after a bag of explosives was found in the mountains of CO, you knew that it was a rugged area near NORAD, etc....Is this incident in the same general area?
Wed., March 24
Police arrested two Spaniards in northern Portugal after 2,860 pounds of explosives were discovered in their van.
The two men, said to be aged between 30 and 50, were held yesterday near Guimaraes, 170 miles north of Lisbon.
Police, acting on an anonymous tip-off, stopped the Spanish-registered van in the suburbs of Guimaraes.
The men, from Spain’s northern Asturias region, were due to appear in court today.
They reportedly claimed they were delivering the explosives to Portuguese fireworks manufacturers.
However, they had no documents showing the provenance of the explosives nor any written authorisation for the transportation of explosives, news agency Lusa reported.
Work commitments will keep me away until late tonight/early tomorrow...look forward to checking back.