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probably just druggies Pair found with bomb ingredient were let go

Thunder Bay police released two people despite the discovery of more than half a tonne of red phosphorus, which can be used to make powerful bombs or illegal drugs, concealed behind furniture in their rented U-Haul truck, a spokesman for the force said yesterday.

"Its very difficult to hold someone in those circumstances,'' Chris Adams, spokesman for Thunder Bay police, said yesterday, although he acknowledged that the 12 large drums each containing 50 kilograms of red phosphorus was sufficient to make a large bomb or $100,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine.

Mr. Adams said the driver was given a summons under Ontario's Dangerous Goods Transportation Act, which requires he appear in court July 9.

After unloading the 12 large drums from the U-Haul van on April 17, police allowed the man and his female companion to drive off in the van. Police found the hidden drums after stopping the truck during a routine seatbelt check on Highway 11.

Red phosphorus is a legal and not uncommon type of phosphorus. In Canada, its possession is legal but it requires a permit to purchase or transport because it can be explosive if improperly handled. Used in matches, fireworks and to create "tracer'' streaks when artillery shells are fired, red phosphorus when mixed with oxides can create a devastating bomb. Crude but powerful truck bombs made by mixing widely available materials have been used with deadly effectiveness by terrorists both in the United States and abroad.

Mr. Adams said that "as far as Thunder Bay police are concerned this is a drug-related investigation'' although he acknowledged that the 600 kilograms hidden in the U-Haul was a very large amount.

The driver of the rented truck said he had been paid $4,500 to drive the vehicles from Vancouver to Toronto and claimed he was unaware of the 12 large, bright blue drums, each bearing explosive-warning stickers, hidden in the back. The vehicle was registered in Arizona.

Thunder Bay police wouldn't release the name of either the driver or his companion. Both had British Columbia driver's licences, Mr. Adams said. They "were released with a ticket.''

Both the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP were alerted to the seizure. Neither responded to queries yesterday as to whether the investigation had been expanded to include a possible bomb-making effort.

In Washington, there are persistent fears that al-Qaeda will again use Canada to as a transit point for terrorists and bomb-making materials to enter the United States.

U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism officials declined comment on the seizure and the decision to release the driver.