Source: Newcastle Herald
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
QUEENSLAND police are investigating whether convicted firebomber Daniel Fing was planning some sort of mass attack after finding more than 50 kilograms of explosive materials and crudely drawn maps of Sydney and Newcastle inside a Brisbane property.
Police believe one of the maps, which contains the words ‘‘bridge’’, ‘‘brothel’’ and ‘‘grave’’, could be a mud map of Sandgate including the Sandgate Road bridge that crosses the rail line, Sandgate Cemetery and brothel A1 Temptations on the corner of Wallsend Road and Rural Drive.
Police believe that Mr Fing, 30, was leasing the premises at Pullenvale, south-west of Brisbane, under another name until he stopped paying rent and left.
A real estate agent recently inspected the premises before contacting police who found a range of chemicals in the house and a nearby shed including DMDT, which was used in the 2005 London bombings, HMDT and TATP, which is the same substance Mr Fing used to firebomb a love rival’s car at Belmont in 2006.
They also found sheets of A4 paper that they believe could be of George Street, Sydney, near Central railway station, and the Sandgate mud map.
Queensland police with the assistance of the Australian Federal Police have been conducting controlled explosions on the property for almost a week to dispose of some of the highly volatile substances.
The Australian Defence Force and private contractors attended the property on Tuesday to continue the search and processing of the scene.
Mr Fing, who is currently in custody in NSW for unrelated matters, was jailed in 2006 for four years with a non-parole period of two years for firebombing a rival’s car, which was parked in the Belmont McDonald’s carpark. A warrant was issued for his arrest several months ago for driving matters before he was arrested and due to face Newcastle Local Court later this month for another unrelated matter.
His father, Trevor Fing, was released to parole in late 2012 after serving a lengthy jail term for drug and fraud offences.
Trevor Fing lost part of one of his arms and a leg after a car collided with him while he rode a motorbike along Wild Duck Drive, Cams Wharf, on June 3.
Police are still searching for the driver of the car.
Daniel Fing was previously convicted in his absence of taking a knife into Cessnock jail when attempting to visit his father prior to his release in 2012.
Trevor Fing later supported Daniel at the trial last year of a man accused of shooting Daniel in the arm at the family’s Belmont North home. The accused was acquitted.
The manager of A1 Temptations said they had not been contacted by police about the discovery in Queensland and would not be commenting further.
Police were expected to continue their work at the scene today. NSW police ruled out links to terrorism.
‘‘I strongly reassure everyone that there are absolutely no links to terrorism. We have no information that anyone or any structure or place is in danger,’’ Detective Superintendent Ken Finch said.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman paid tribute to the police action yesterday.
‘‘I’m just very appreciative of all concerned for discovering this activity going on which could have led to a serious crime,’’ he said.
Brisbane’s lord mayor Graham Quirk said he had ‘‘every confidence that the federal agencies as well as the Queensland police service are right across this’’ ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane in November. with AAP