July 24, 2004
By MILES KEMP
The Advertiser, South Australia
TWO tonnes of a key ingredient used by terrorists to make bombs has been stolen from farms in the Virginia area, north of Adelaide (South Australia).
Five farms have been targeted in the past 12 months, with police unable to locate more than 40 bags of ammonium nitrate, each weighing 50kg.
When mixed with other chemicals – also easily available on farms and at retail outlets – the common fertiliser becomes the bomb of choice for many terrorist organisations, including the Bali bombers who are believed to have used only 150kg in their attack.
An investigation by The Advertiser has revealed fears the material had fallen into the wrong hands last year, leading to a massive community and police response involving more than 500 farmers in the area. Many have opted for the only effective solution – to no longer store the fertiliser on their properties, only buying and using it when needed.
The response to the problem was co-ordinated by the Virginia Horticulture Centre, a council and government-funded body set up to run marketing and research programs for growers in the region.
Managing director Mike Redmond, after being told one tonne of the bags had been stolen, said the organisation opted for safety first, alerted police and called several meetings for growers.
A total of five farmers came forward to report thefts totalling more than two tonnes.
"You read these things in the news and you . . . need to be vigilant," he said. "The world has changed, unfortunately.
"The gut feeling is that it is petty theft – not anything worse. I doubt the people who pinch it even know it could be used for bomb making."
One farmer, who did not want to be identified, told The Advertiser fuelling community fears had been the fact a group of Middle Eastern itinerant workers had been operating in the area at the time the fertiliser began to disappear.
In response to the thefts, at several farmer meetings, police outlined security measures for farms including a more vigilant neighbourhood-watch style community surveillance.
The Virginia thefts were unrelated to 3.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was thought to have been stolen from an Adelaide company.
Police believe it was a paperwork error by the trucking company involved.
Vegetable farmer Rocco Musolino said about 500kg of the fertiliser had been stolen from a shed on his farm.
He only realised it had been taken after checking when his brother told him one tonne had been stolen from his farm.
"The police and people here were concerned about terrorism, but not so much as time has passed and nothing has happened," he said.
Mr Musolino said he thought the bags, worth $30 each, had been stolen with other farm equipment to be re-sold on the black market or to be used by the thieves.
Gawler Police Senior Sergeant Ian Webber said many farmers had heeded a warning to buy only enough ammonium nitrate for their current need, rather than buying extra and stockpiling for future use.
But this was not always practical and more secure storage in less remote buildings had also been adopted by many.
"We were aware of the potential (for terrorist use) at the time," Senior Sergeant Webber said. "We have to accept some farmers will still have to store it, but we encourage them not to store it in isolated areas where people can get at it."
Australian Strategic Policy Institute terrorism expert Aldo Borgu said while the theft of ammonium nitrate had probably occurred from the time the product was created, its use by terrorists meant recent thefts had taken on a new significance.
He said it was unlikely the Adelaide material had been stolen for bomb making.
"It is a possibility, the fact is it is not an odds-on possibility, but this (terrorist threat) is not something you play by the odds," he said. "The results, should they eventuate, are serious enough that you have to take the issue seriously."
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