Two people have been charged after police allegedly located a suspicious device believed to be a portable bomb at a shopping centre in Queensland, Australia, which prompted an emergency declaration on Monday morning, April 2.
Queensland police have confirmed that specialist police have dismantled the device. The car has also been removed from the shopping centre car park, reported the newspaper.
The exclusion zone was lifted at 11:35 a.m. after the device was rendered safe.
Senior Sergeant Gareth James told reporters that authorities were concerned about the length of time the pair stayed in their car and their “general behaviour,” reported the news station.
The pair’s vehicle was allegedly obtained through a “fraudulent transaction” several days ago, meaning it could have been stolen or obtained through fraud, according to The Queensland Times.
Police are now investigating the intended use of the alleged portable explosive device. “I don’t know what gain they could have from exploding it in a carpark,” James told the newspaper.
“The shopping centre itself wasn’t actually open at the time so we believe they were just parked here, the reason being, we do not know.”
The 31-year-old Capalaba woman was charged with possessing dangerous goods, possessing tainted property, fraud, forgery, uttering, stealing, and receiving tainted property.
