Dubai parcel bomb 'bore al-Qa'ida hallmarks'

A parcel intercepted in Dubai and bound for the United States contained a bomb hidden in a printer cartridge and bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda, Dubai police said today.

The parcel contained explosive pentaerythritol trinitrate (PETN) in a printer cartridge, police said. PETN was the material used in a failed plot to bomb an airline over the US in December 2009.

"The parcel was prepared in a professional way where a closed electrical circuit was connected to a mobile phone SIM card hidden inside the printer," the statement said.

"This tactic carries the hallmarks of methods used previously by terrorist organisations such as al-Qa'ida."

The bomb also contained lead azide, which is used in detonators. Dubai police experts defused the device, the statement said.

Police were tipped off "via international communication channels" on the possibility that a package coming from Yemen through FedEx (FDX.N) contained hidden explosive materials.

Along with the statement, Dubai police also released pictures showing the contents of the parcel including a book on management and an English novel, as well as Yemeni souvenirs.