The Public Prosecution had previously referred to court nine suspects – four of the suspects are under arrest and five of them are still at large – on charges of forming and joining a gang with the intention of breaching public order, jeopardizing the Kingdom’s stability and security and inflicting acts of terrorism.
The nine convicts had been trained to manufacture, store and detonate explosives in order to breach public security, carry out acts of terrorism so as to scare innocent people and they also raised funds for these purposes.
Investigations revealed that the suspects et alia used the warehouse to manufacture and store explosives and planned to attack security men, civilians and properties in order to destabilize the Kingdom of Bahrain and its economy.
Investigations also revealed that the suspects used two other locations in Tashan and A’ali to store tools and substances usable in manufacturing explosives and held meetings. The locations and the homes of the suspects were searched after obtaining Public Prosecution permits. The search resulted in finding ready-to-use explosive packs, tools and materials usable in manufacturing explosives, explosive devices and manuals on how to manufacture explosives. Expert reports concluded that the confiscated packs were highly explosive nitro-glycerin and nitro-cellulose. These highly explosive substances were found in the warehouse – dynamite and TNT- could result in destruction of lives and properties.
A memory chip confiscated from suspects included video clips, lessons on manufacturing bombs and explosives, Al-Qassam-type rockets, anti-tank weapons and also methods for procurement of substances usable in making bombs. DNA tests and fingerprints from the locations were proven to be compatible with those of a number of the suspects.
The Chief Public Prosecutor said that some of the suspects were behind the blasts which the gang planted and detonated near the Exhibition Centre on 22-11-2011. The gang manufactured and planted two explosive devices near the Exhibition Centre and remotely detonated them by means of a mobile phone and a wireless bell for the purpose of undermining an event at the Exhibition Centre at that time. The blast damaged many cars which happened to be parked there and then and also gutted a house in the vicinity.