The Hong Kong police have seized a large number of chemicals at Shing Mun Country Park’s barbeque site near Tsuen Wan.
Narcotics Bureau Chief Inspector Tam Tsz-wai said the police took action on Thursday morning after receiving intelligence about the chemicals.
They found 59 bottles in the grass on a slope. They totalled 137 litres and some of the items were highly corrosive.
The bottles included acetonitrile, phosphorus pentoxide, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid among others.
Tam said the police would not rule out the idea that the chemicals were connected to those stolen from labs at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“We will conduct further investigations with the Chinese University of Hong Kong,” he said.
Last month, police and protesters engaged in dramatic clashes at the university over the control of the university’s no.2 bridge. The school said some chemicals were stolen.
Tam said the chemicals could be used to make petrol bombs and other weapons.
“It is irresponsible to place the chemicals at a location that can be easily reached by the public,” he said.
However, he said that there was no evidence thank any leakage had occurred.
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