Smuggling of explosives: Four plead not guilty

Manama

Four persons implicated in connection with smuggling bomb-making materials into Bahrain pleaded not guilty. They are being tried at the High Criminal Court, but a fifth accused involved in the case is still at large. 

The four accused, including a teenager, were travelling in the bus busted by security officials at the King Fahad Causeway on March 19. The bus carried 140 detonators, 41 electrical circuits, a remote-controlled device and mobile phones used to detonate explosives.

The driver of the bus is also among the accused. He earlier confessed before the Terror Crime Prosecution that he knew some the passengers were carriying explosives in his bus to Bahrain across the King Fahad Causeway.

They were being transported from Iraq by a native, to be used in terrorist attacks, according to prosecutors.The teenager was allegedly being used to smuggle contraband equipment to Bahrain via Saudi Arabia.

The accused were tried on grounds of smuggling and possessing explosive materials and receiving weapons training.The Terror Crime Prosecution stated earlier in a statement the fifth accused is in Iraq and the bus driver agreed to keep the materials with the teenager to avoid suspicion.

"They (the bus driver and the fugitive in Iraq) had previously smuggled another, similar illegal shipment three months before this incident," according to the Terror Crime Prosecution.

"The fugitive in Iraq is also accused of funding terrorist groups in Bahrain and supplying them materials to make explosives," Prosecution statement added. Another suspect arrested in connection with the seizure was earlier released due to lack of evidence.