A Royal Australian Navy explosive expert has deloused a home-made grenade, part of a cache of weapons, bombs, ammunition, booby trap kits and manuals found in an underground bunker in country Queensland.

The dive team from HMAS CAIRNS was asked by Queensland Police to travel to Davies Creek in the Mareeba district on Friday, June 21.

The request followed the discovery of a trapdoored pit in the bush. In the bunker 30 rifles and machine guns were found. Some rifles had telescopic sights. There were boxes of ammunition and other explosives.

Mareeba police handed POCD O'Neill and his team an M30 practice grenade and two smoke grenades. Upon examination it was found the smoke grenades had been detonated and were considered safe.

POCD O'Neill saw the M30 had been tampered with and a non-military style bolt was insitu in the base. He dismantled the device finding the fuse-detonator was intact.

A home-made high explosive chemical, yet to be analysed by Queensland Police, filled the grenade. Army intelligence officers travelled to Mareeba to continue inquiries.

-- by Graham Davis --