Australian police find four bombs in teacher's home

A high school teacher denied in court having links to terrorist groups Wednesday, a day after police found four bombs, including one studded with razor blades, in his home in the east coast city of Brisbane.

Photo: Australian police find four bombs in teacher's home

Australian police find four bombs in teacher's home

John Howard Amundsen, 40, was charged with fraud in connection with the bomb cache. Police have not charged him with any terror offenses.

Bomb squad officers evacuated 30 nearby houses and sent a remote-controlled robot into Amundsen's home Tuesday night to hunt for explosives. They also evacuated and searched Ferny Grove State High School, where Amundsen teaches. It was not immediately clear why they launched the searches.

Appearing in Brisbane Magistrates Court, Amundsen said he was not a terrorist and had the explosives for a television shoot. He did not give any further explanation.

"I don't have any affiliation to any violent organization," he told Magistrate Lindy Bradford-Morgan.

"The explosives are being used in a TV shoot," he added. "I've also cooperated with the police and helped them locate everything because I don't want any danger to them or the public."

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Wilson said Amundsen was charged with fraudulently obtaining 53 kilograms (117 pounds) of an explosive substance called Powergel.

Peter Beattie, premier of the northeastern state of Queensland, said police did not consider the case to be linked to terrorism.

"The police minister has advised me that the commissioner has indicated that there is no known terrorism threat in Queensland," Beattie told the state parliament. "It should be dealt with on the facts, and there shouldn't be any alarmism,» reports the AP.

I.L.