Pak containers under scanners of suspicion

An official says it maybe possible to have used explosives for making holes in the containers.

Two suspicious containers from Pakistan, forced evacuation of a Seattle port terminal in North America after a bomb-sniffing dog indicated they could contain explosives.

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However no explosives, bombs, chemical or biological agent was found, officials said. The suspicion was raised on Wednesday, when scanning by a gamma ray device suggested presence of articles which were not declared in the inventory.

A bomb sniffing dog too reacted and led the officials to order evacuation of the terminal. Officials said the containers were supposed to contain oily rags, which are often shipped internationally for recycling or use in packaging.

The gamma ray device determines the density of the cargo and gives clue to whether it matches with the manifest. No explanation was available as to why the dog reacted the way it did.

A bomb squad was summoned, which detonated small charges to create tiny holes for the investigators to determine what was inside. They found no radioactive material or explosives, but it was not clear whether further search would be carried out.

However, an official held out the possibility of explosives used to make holes in the containers might have detonated small explosives inside.