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French hunt for stolen explosives French search for stolen Semtex
(about 2 hours later)
French anti-terrorist officers are hunting 28kg (61lb) of explosives missing from a security services site at Corbas, near the city of Lyon. French anti-terrorist officers are searching for 28kg (61lb) of Semtex explosive missing from a depot in the suburbs of the city of Lyon.
A police official in Paris said the missing material was Semtex - the powerful plastic explosive which is very hard to detect. France's interior ministry confirmed an investigation was underway, saying the manager of the site had been suspended.
France's interior ministry confirmed an investigation was underway, saying the head of the site had been suspended. Semtex is a powerful explosive favoured by terrorist groups as it is odourless and practically impossible to detect.
Police say they are treating the theft "very seriously". Police said detonators were also missing and that they are treating the theft "very seriously".
Detonators are also missing, the police official told the AFP news agency. The depot, in a disused 19th century fort at Corbas, is used for storing explosives by a civil defence unit charged with the job of blowing up bombs and ammunition left over from the two world wars.
The discovery that explosives were missing from the site, said to be home to a specialist anti-mine division of the security services, was made on Friday. Police said the discovery that the Semtex was missing was made on Friday but admitted the explosives could have been taken up to a week ago.
However, it is thought the explosives could have been taken up to one week ago. In a statement released late on Friday the interior ministry said there had been "security failings" which had made the theft possible.
In a statement released late on Friday the interior ministry said that explosives were normally kept at the site for use in destroying old munitions, and that "security failings" had made the theft possible.
Police sources have declined to confirm a newspaper website report which said that the store had been unguarded.Police sources have declined to confirm a newspaper website report which said that the store had been unguarded.