Student mechanic in bomb arrest

A 20-year-old student has been arrested in connection with the seizure of a home-made bomb left outside Wah Yan college in Wan Chai in December.

That came as the security chief warned people to be on guard against rising terrorism.

Police allege the suspect, currently taking a mechanics course at Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, was responsible for supplying devices to set off home-made bombs.

Senior superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah of the organized crime and triad bureau said the arrest was made in Sau Mau Ping Estate on Tuesday in connection with a case involving an intention to inflict grievous bodily harm.

"Officers found a batch of circuit boards, tools for manufacturing electronic devices, nails as well as items and video clips related to child pornography in his home," Li said.

"The suspect is believed to have been designing, distributing and supplying circuit boards for setting off home-made explosive devices," he added, and further arrests were expected.

Police had found a radio-controlled improvised explosive device containing 10 kilograms of explosives outside Wah Yan College in Wan Chai on December 9.

Police blocked off roads while expert officers inspected the device, and then a robot was used to defuse it.

The device was said to have been capable of causing casualties within a radius of up to 100 meters.

Separately, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said Hongkongers were "strongly reminded" of growing terrorism in the SAR, and incidents involving bombs.

So authorities could use anti-terrorism laws to freeze assets in bomb cases, he said.

"Since the first bomb was found in July, a dozen home-made bombs have been found," Lee noted.

He also defended the arrests of 15 pro-democracy political figures at the weekend - an action that came under heavy criticism from many foreign governments.

Lee said the arrests had been based on facts and evidence after an investigation had been conducted.

He also echoed Beijing's Foreign Affairs Office in Hong Kong in accusing Western politicians and officials of applying double standards.

"I noticed that foreign politicians and government officials were making unreasonable criticism against the arrests, which is a double standard as they have forgotten the number of arrests made in their own countries every year for breaching protest-related laws," he said.

"I would like to ask Hong Kong residents to stay vigilant and not be used by foreign countries. Their interference in Hong Kong affairs is only for their own interests."

And on the case of a police sergeant allegedly plotting to stage a petrol bomb attack at Kwai Chung police station this month, Lee said that every case will be taken seriously by the police.

"Police have different measures to combat violent acts, but they will not participate in illegal activities," Lee said.

"Of course, the police are a disciplinary service that emphasizes discipline. And they must also obey the law. The police will deal seriously with individual cases according to the situation."