Robber hijacks French truck laden with explosives

PanARMENIAN.Net - An armed robber hijacked a truck carrying around one tonne of explosives as it left a depot in south-eastern France Thursday, March 1 but police caught up with him after 200 metres, media reported.

The truck was transporting industrial explosives for use in mining, quarries and construction, according to RTL radio.

The gunman tied up the driver and a security guard, slipped behind the wheel and drove off. The two captives quickly freed themselves and raised the alarm.

Using satellite tracking, police found the suspect and the truck close to the depot in Veurey-Voroize, near the city of Grenoble.

RTL reported that about 150 kilos of explosives were missing from the consignment and that the man appeared to be working alone.

According to RTL, the depot - owned by the explosives manufacturer Titanobel - was held up in 2001 by members of the Basque separatist group ETA.

ETA was not suspected in Thursday's attack, after declaring an end to its armed campaign last October, M&C reported citing DPA.