Explosive surprise found in old sofa (bought 2nd hand sofa w/TNT inside)

Reuters ^ | 8.1.03

[mhking]

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man bought a second-hand sofa only to discover it was stuffed with 1.4 kg (three pounds) of dynamite, police say.

The man alerted authorities in the western town of Hagen after finding seven suspicious blocks in the sofa's armrests.

"You can do a great deal of damage with that much TNT. Only 200 grams were used in the Lockerbie bombings," said a police explosives expert in Duesseldorf, referring to the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Scotland, in which 270 people were killed.

Police have arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of planning robberies with the explosives. They described him as an acquaintance of the sofa's previous owner.

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Chad Fairbanks]

Good thing my late grandpa didn't buy that couch... BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPP BOOOM!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"Only 200 grams were used in the Lockerbie bombings..."

Puhleeze. This piker ought to know that there's a world of difference between a 747 with a pressurized cabin cruising at 400 knots at 20,000+ feet and his bloody sofa.

[Chad Fairbanks]

That, and the fact that the type of explosive used in the Lockerbie Bombing was a semtex-style plastic explosive...

[isthisnickcool]

Puhleeze. This piker ought to know that there's a world of difference between a 747 with a pressurized cabin cruising at 400 knots at 20,000+ feet and his bloody sofa.

That kinda screams at ya doesn't it?

[petuniasevan]

Which IS it?

Dynamite?

TNT?

Well? They're two DIFFERENT explosives.

Sheesh -- reporters...

[Ford Fairlane]

Only 200 grams were used in the Lockerbie bombings

This is crap that has been repeated too often.

It was a suitcase with at least 40 lb of Semtek in it.

200 grams would have had to have been placed directly on a structural member or a fuel tank to do the damage that was done to that aircraft

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"...suddenly, it hits me."

You've had some great taglines but this one, for some reason got me. I must now go change my linen. Thanks for the laugh...again.

[Chad Fairbanks]

You are most welcome :0)

[Jimmy Valentine]

Is the Baader-Meinhoff gang running a furniture store?

I didn't know that "lazy boys" were that dangerous.

Regards,

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Explosive surprise found in old sofa...

In 1999, I had an old sofa, which had previously belonged to my parents, which I gave to a family I knew. When they got the aforementioned sofa to their home, they decided to dig out the little odds and ends which were shaking around in the bottom.

Imagine my surprise when my they presented to me my high school class ring; found within the furnature; which I hadn't seen since my HS graduation in '90.