DAR AL HARB-AUSTRALIA: ROCKET LAUNCHERS HID IN PVC PIPES

Gang hides launchers in pipes
By Warren Owens
January 07, 2007 12:00am

STOLEN rocket launchers are believed to have been stowed in plastic PVC pipes and buried in a secret hideaway by a suspected terrorist gang.

Instructions on how to hide the anti-tank rockets were allegedly contained in a computer seized by police in a terrorist raid in 2005, according to a police facts sheet seen by The Sunday Telegraph.

The material detailed how weapons could be concealed in PVC piping - an ideal cover for the 66mm rocket launchers.

Police surveillance also observed one of the suspects loading a car with several 100mm PVC pipes, originally feared to be for bomb-making.

A Sydney court heard last year that another accused terrorist's vehicle contained a spade, a rake and a small quantity of dirt when seized by police, indicative digging may have taken place shortly before.

A former Islamic bookshop worker appeared in court on Friday accused of selling seven deadly anti-tank rockets to a Sydney crime gang leader in the latest development of a story broken by The Sunday Telegraph on November 5.

The alleged seller, Taha Abdul-Rahman, 28, was remanded in custody until next week, when he will apply to be freed on bail and police are expected to reveal details of their case against him.

Police allege the crime boss Eddie Darwiche, now serving a life sentence, paid more than $70,000 for the weapons, five of which he onsold to suspected terrorists. New South Wales and Federal police claim the gang discussed attacks on targets such as the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.

Just three days after Darwiche was said to have bought the stolen rocket launchers, the crime boss hatched plans to fire one of the anti-tank weapons at a fibro Sydney home where rival gangsters were hiding, according to evidence before a Supreme Court jury last year.

A Darwiche associate, Abbas Osman, contacted a former Canadian military man to seek advice about using the rocket-launcher, a court has heard.

"We want to fire it into a house. I just want to know - if it goes through a house, a fibro house, does it have to hit something hard?" Osman allegedly inquired.

Darwiche apparently left the launcher behind, relying instead on two automatic rifles and two pistols to kill his rival - and an innocent woman in the house.

Police recovered one rocket launcher after Darwiche was convicted of murder but before he was sentenced.

But the others are still to be located, with police vowing that "no effort will be spared in pursuing this", officers said.

Ahhhhhh the "religion of peace", all so warm and cuddly...


Pertinent Links:

1) Gang hides launchers in pipes


Prior Stories Concerning the Stolen Rocket Launchers:

1) AUSTRALIA: STOLEN ROCKET LAUNCHERS 'SOLD TO TERROR SUSPECT'

2) Man finds rocket launcher at Rockhampton dump