Roundup: Hezbollah suspect's detention extended in Cyprus

A suspected Hezbollah operative had his detention extended on Friday as police said they had established a raison d'etre for the five tons of ammonium nitrate found at his home.

The 26-year old Lebanese man, who traveled on a Canadian passport, is suspected of planning attacks on Israeli targets, which Cypriot media said included the blowing up of the Israeli embassy here.

A court in the seaside city of Larnaca extended a remand order for his detention for a further eight days after a police investigator recounted during a closed door session his movements and suspected plans.

The man was originally arrested on May 27 and police who searched the house he was residing in found a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used as fertilizer but is also a powerful explosive if mixed with other substances.

The police said at the time that they found about two tons of the chemical in 64,000 small packages stored in ice packs but after detailed examination they established that it actually weighted close to five tons.

Police spokesman Andreas Angelides, revealing details of the case for the first time, said that investigators were seeking charges of conspiring to commit a crime, of being in possession of and carrying explosive substances.

The man's lawyer, Andreas Mathikolonis, did not object to the extension of his detention but denied that he was involved in unlawful acts.

The lawyer claimed that the man had come to Cyprus with his parents to explore purchasing or renting property.

Mathikolonis also claimed that the suspect had obtained the keys and gone to the house to inspect it when it was raided by the police.

Angelides said at the time that after a tip-off from unnamed foreign security services the man and the house had been under police surveillance for some time.

Sources quoted by Cyprus News Agency said the owner of the house, who purchased it several years ago, is also Lebanese with a French passport, who has never come back to Cyprus.

Police are in touch with Interpol and Europol in an effort to track him down.

The sources also said that the police knew the nitrate ammonium was amassed over several months or possibly years and were also aware of the way it was brought into Cyprus.

Angelides said police investigations are now at an advanced stage but have led to more issues that have to be further investigated to bundle up the case.

He said the ammonium nitrate was taken Friday to a licensed handler to be neutralized under appropriate supervision.

Sources familiar with the case said that the suspect had visited Cyprus on several occasions in the past.

They said that he had lived in Canada up to the age of 18 and he then went to Lebanon to study business management.

The sources also said investigators were probing into possible links with the Hezbollah group, which fought Israel on several occasions.

"He denies all connection with Hezbollah," his lawyer said after the remand hearing. Endit