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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Adam Hale - Press Association

The makeshift bomb factory found by police inside a Port Talbot home during terror raid

A man has been jailed for six years after his home was found filled with chemicals and components that could be used to make explosives.

Alexander Giles, 33, also had US army manuals and recipes for the manufacturing of explosives, a Taser and class A drugs.

On Friday, Swansea Crown Court heard Giles had an "obsession" with collecting chemicals used for dangerous explosives but had no connection with terror groups and had no plans to manufacture them.

Prosecutor Catherine Richards said Wales extremism and counter-terrorism officers raided Giles's home in Port Talbot, South Wales, in October 2017, and when asked if he had any items of concern, he replied "nothing to harm anyone".

Chemicals were found at the property (South Wales Police)
The property was said to be cluttered (South Wales Police)
Alexander Giles, 33, was jailed for six years (South Wales Police)

In his cluttered home, police found containers of chemicals including hydrogen peroxide and Acetone, which could be used to create explosives, and four publications containing instructions and recipes to manufacture them.

The publications included the Anarchist Cookbook, the US Army Special Forces guide to unconventional warfare devices, the US Army guide to booby traps and a guide titled Flash Powder - Wikipedia.

Police also found a Taser disguised as a torch, incapacitating sprays and evidence of the production and possession of class A drug crystal methamphetamine.

He later pleaded guilty to 23 counts of possessing an explosive substance, three counts of possessing prohibited weapons and the possession and manufacture of class A drugs.

Another image of the property (South Wales Police)
The components could be used to make explosives (South Wales Police)
Giles has now been put behind bars (South Wales Police)

Kevin Seal, defending, said Giles had no plans to actually create any explosives, while the drugs were for personal consumption and not to sell to others.

Judge Paul Thomas called the case "unusual" and accepted Giles was more of a "nerd" than a "threat" and did not intend to create explosive devices.

But he said possessing the illegal chemicals posed a "risk".

Judge Thomas said: "You are not connected with any terrorist organisations or groups or movements, or had these for anything other than self-obsession with these materials.

"You are obsessive rather than maliciously motivated."

Giles, from Aberavon, Port Talbot , was sentenced to six years in jail.

 
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