That would be a blast to find… literally.
Federal authorities are seeking the public’s help with information about a stash of military explosives that were unearthed by a construction crew working in a northern Arizona community late last year.
The explosives were discovered Oct. 27 by a construction crew clearing a path in Pine, which is located about 15 miles north of Payson on State Route 87, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The items include 80 M112 blocks of military C4 explosive, nine M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mines with firing devices and one roll of military detonating cord, the ATF said in a press release.
Officials believe the items were stolen and buried there for 20 years, according to the ATF, which added that the items were buried about 5 feet underground inside large plastic pipes.
ATF officials did not specify where they suspect the items may have been stolen from.
The agency is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the theft. The ATF is being assisted in the investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command and the FBI.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the ATF 24/7 hotline at 1-888-283-8477 or send an email to ATFTips@atf.gov. An anonymous text also can be sent via the ReportIt® mobile app, available through www.reportit.com, using…