German Bought Explosive Materials From Dark Web

On Saturday, a 21-year-old from Mühldorf am Inn, Germany constructed an explosive set in a gravel pit in Gars am Inn. Witnesses heard the detonation and immediately informed law enforcement authorities. Fortunately, no one was injured in the life-threatening incident. The criminal investigation department in Mühldorf started investigating the case.

Shortly after the detonation, two vehicles escaped and witnesses informed the police. Due to the witness reports, all parties of the incident were quickly identified and questioned. The investigation revealed that the 21-year-old ordered materials from the dark web, which he used to construct the explosives. The highly flammable substances are subject to the law on explosives, and may only be used by authorities (eg. in the industry).

The 21-year-old, who, according to his statement to the police, was highly interested in fireworks, built up his own ”barge” after he received the materials. He invited numerous friends to the gravel pit to see the detonation. Due to the high force of the explosion, all the participants were surprised.

Officials of the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Münich, along with detectives from the Mühldorf authorities took over the further processings in the investigation. According to a criminal officer, the suspect used acetone peroxide for the construction of the explosive. It is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. The substance is difficult to detect by authorities, and it has been implicated as the explosive used in terrorist attacks in Europe in 2016 and earlier (eg. the 2016 Brussels bombings). According to the officer, if not used correctly, the substance could lead to severe injuries or death. The 21-year-old and his friends are currently awaiting an investigation for the infringement of the Explosives Act.

During the investigation, law enforcement authorities double-checked the background of the 21-year-old and discovered that the man is not politically motivated. According to the suspect, he did not want to hurt or damage anyone. He claimed that he only constructed the explosives because he was interested in fireworks. In the incident, material damage did not occur. Further information on the case could be expected soon.

The current case is quite unique, it is an uncommon one among dark net-related crimes. Alleged criminals mostly use the dark web to buy narcotics, weapons, and stolen information. Most of the articles we have on our site are about suspects who allegedly bought or sold drugs or firearms, or tried to use counterfeit money, which they acquired from the dark side of the internet, and got caught with it. However, in the current case, the 21-year-old bought a highly-explosive material from a vendor on one of the marketplaces and used it to construct a firework for his own, and his friends’ amusement. Unfortunately, police information does not state the extent of the punishment the suspect could get for his crime. He violated the Explosives Act, however, he only did that for entertainment purposes.