A BACKPACK full of commercial explosives, detonators and .303 calibre ammunition was found stashed near the ambulance station at Manunda.
The discovery on Thursday has sparked a major investigation but police said the find was not related to the APEC meetings in Cairns this week.
* Of course not. Why upset the unsuspecting locals? But how do we know that the bomb was not related to the APEC meeting?
The meetings have attracted the city’s biggest ever security response.
* It should!
The police bomb squad and explosive experts were called to inspect the black backpack after it was found by a worker in bushland off Anderson St about 3pm.
The backpack contained commercial explosives, detonators and a magazine containing rounds of bullets for a .303-calibre rifle.
“It obviously is concerning to find items like that in public,” Cairns police district Superintendent Katarina Carroll said.
“The concerning item is the ammunition.
“We are endeavouring to determine what they were to be used for.”
She said police believed the bag had been dumped or stashed at the site, between Cairns Ambulance Station and Martyn St cemetery, some time ago.
“The items would appear to be quite aged,” Supt Carroll said.
“It is yet to be determined how long they had been there for.
“We are making inquiries to find out who owns it.”
The worker called police immediately after stumbling across the backpack.
The area was cordoned off for several hours while experts assessed the threat and Scenes of Crime officers combed the surrounds for clues.
“The items were seized and the scene was rendered safe,” Supt Carroll said.
* There is nothing to worry about. Except after the fact…
The explosives and detonators were given to an inspector from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.
Forensic officers are analysing the bag and bullets.
Supt Carroll said the worker handled the matter responsibly.
“People who stumble across these types of things should not touch it,” she said.
“People should call police immediately and try to keep people away from the scene until police arrive.”
While security continued to be tight at the APEC meeting in the CBD, police did not see the explosive find as a threat to that event.
“The police service sees no relationship between this item of property and the APEC meetings,” Far Northern Region Chief Supt Mike Keating said.
Anyone with information on the backpack should call Cairns police on 4030 7000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
If all fails, call Gavin King 
* Strange. Martyn Street? Cairns Ambulance Station and Martyn St cemetery,
all not really that far from Dunn Street…CLICK
..close to the APEC meeting…
Nah, couldn’t be…
You don’t say!
Surely it has nothing to do with the RoP!
What are you: Some kind of Islamophobe?
* Stop right here. We could be ‘vilifying Muslims…’
