A defused hand grenade, but loaded with explosives, was found together with a cartridge belt with empty bullets at Catania Airport during a routine check carried out on mail leaving for Rome.
The bomb was identified by a security officer. The package came from the Sigonella base and was bound for the United States.
The episode occurred in the early hours of the afternoon, and led to the suspension of the activities of the cargo terminal for the necessary reclamation operations by the canine units and the bomb squad of the State Police and in the presence of the Guardia di Finanza.
“The police checks – said commissioner Giuseppe Gualtieri – made it possible to ascertain that the bomb, as well as the discharged shells, were absolutely free of explosives. They were just a souvenir because they lacked any offensive capacity". The position of the US military is being examined by the investigators.
