TerrorismMelbourne Christmas Day terror suspects had “mother of Satan” chemicals: Expert

Published 23 August 2017

A court in Australia was told that volatile chemical explosives, nicknamed “mother of Satan,” were found in the possession of four men accused of plotting a Christmas Day terrorist attack in Melbourne. The Australian reports that federal police chemicals expert Dr. Vincent Otieno-Alego told Melbourne magistrates court on Tuesday that he analyzed substances that could produce up to 2g of triacetone triperoxide (TATP).

A court in Australia was told that volatile chemical explosives, nicknamed “mother of Satan,” were found in the possession of four men accused of plotting a Christmas Day terrorist attack in Melbourne.

The Australian reports that federal police chemicals expert Dr. Vincent Otieno-Alego told Melbourne magistrates court on Tuesday that he analyzed substances that could produce up to 2g of triacetone triperoxide (TATP).

Th four defendants — Hamza Abbas, 22, his 23-year-old brother, Ibrahim Abbas, Ahmed Mohamed, 24, and 26-year-old Abdullah Chaarani — appeared in court for the second day of a pre-trial hearing.

The four men are charged with planning to use an IEDs and other weapons in a attacks on Flinders Street station, Federation Square, and St Paul’s Cathedral in downtown Melbourne on Christmas Day 2016.

Otieno-Alego described TATP as “very volatile” and confirmed it was often referred to as “Mother of Satan.”

Australian federal police weapons expert Bruce Schiefelbein told the court that items found in a red Tupperware container, linked to the case, were also capable of making an explosive.

The men, who were arrested during raids by the joint counter-terrorism team in Melbourne’s north on 22 December, were found with a mixture made of sparklers and match heads, which they were planning to use as IED triggers.