Had Soualem Cell: Seized Chemicals Were Key Components for Explosive Devices – Police Chief

Speaking at a press briefing organized by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), El Yousfi Alami said that laboratory analysis of the confiscated chemicals, tools, and suspicious mechanisms revealed the high-risk nature of the cell’s activities. The materials in question, he noted, were essential for the construction of various types of explosive devices, each differing in chemical composition, sensitivity, explosive power, and destructive potential.

Among the confiscated items was rat poison, which the cell intended to mix with nails in their explosives to increase lethality, particularly for victims who sustain injuries in the blast.

In this context, he stated that forensic analysis was conducted on the seized materials at the National Laboratory of Scientific Police, under the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN). The confiscated items, secured as judicial evidence, were categorized into three distinct groups: Chemical substances – powders and liquids of various colors and compositions, metal components – including nails, iron wires, and welding cables, and laboratory equipment – tools typically used for scientific experimentation.

According to El Yousfi Alami, the laboratory analysis confirmed that all the seized chemical materials were essential for manufacturing highly dangerous homemade explosive devices, some of which could be even deadlier than other explosives.

The forensic examination further revealed that multiple explosive devices could be assembled using these substances, each varying in composition, sensitivity, explosive power, and destructive capacity, he added.

El Yousfi Alami emphasized that many of these materials have legitimate civilian applications, particularly in agriculture, industry, and medicine. However, in this case, they had been repurposed for criminal, terrorist, and subversive activities.

Regarding the third category of seized items, the forensic analysis confirmed that the laboratory tools and equipment were compatible with bomb-making processes. Their discovery alongside chemical substances, electrical wiring, and nails strongly suggests that they were acquired specifically for the preparation of explosive devices, he concluded.