Police detained yet one more suspect in what's become Tallinn's most notorious bombing case. On April 18, police evacuated an apartment complex on Pae Street, after being tipped that a man with a self-made explosive device was inside. Police stormed the nine-story building and arrested the suspect.
Following the detainment, officers stressed that the 44-year-old man could not yet be linked to Pae Street's mysterious series of explosions.
However after questioning, police established that the man had intended to kill himself with the explosive. "Based on investigative information, we can say the suspect obtained the materials necessary for making an explosive device long ago, and manufactured the bomb some time ago," security police spokesman Henno Kuurmann told the Baltic News Service.
He added that the man had been suffering from depression and was planning to commit suicide.
The device, experts said, contained approximately 200 grams of TNT, a detonator, activating mechanism, and was fully operational.
Before storming the Pae 64 and Pae 66 apartments, police asked that all residents evacuate the building.
At approximately 7 p.m., officers located the Russian-speaking man his Pae 64 apartment, and began negotiating with him to leave the building. The man finally exited his residence about 30 minutes later, and a bomb squad was called in to search the apartment. Upon discovering the self-made device, the bomb experts rendered it harmless.
Fire and ambulance crews were on standby during the operation, which ended at 8:53 p.m. when residents were allowed to return to their homes.
"The male detained has been declared suspect of illegal possession of an explosive device, and has admitted this possession," Kuurmann said following the suspect's arrest. Pae Street has made headlines in recent years due to a string of explosions in the area. All told, 15 blasts have occurred over the past 10 years. The total victim count is nine dead and another nine injured.
Police have also been called on several accounts to either detonate or remove explosive devices found in the neighborhood. The home-made bombs are usually disguised as everyday items planted in seemingly random locations. Suspects Mart Ringmaa and Hendrik Lori, are currently under investigation for recent blasts.
