Police secure live vintage mortar shell found in Taguig
Experts inspect the vintage mortar cartridge in Taguig. (Photo from Taguig police / SPD)
Police and explosive ordnance experts safely secured a live vintage 60MM mortar cartridge accidentally unearthed by a jeepney driver in Taguig on July 2.
At around 5:45 p.m., the driver was burning wood inside a rented garage along C6 Road in Barangay Hagonoy when he struck a hard object buried in the ground.
On closer inspection, he discovered a metallic item resembling a bomb. He immediately alerted the garage caretaker, who reported the find to Taguig Police Sub-station 9.
Responding officers cordoned off the area to protect nearby residents and motorists.
The Special Explosive and Canine Unit (SECU) was deployed to assess the device, which technicians confirmed to be a live 60MM mortar cartridge.
Using the pick-up and carry-away (PUCA) method, SECU personnel rendered the ordnance safe and transported it to their office for temporary storage and eventual disposal.
The site was later declared clear of threats.
Southern Police District director Brig. Gen. Glenn Oliver Cinco reminded the public of the dangers posed by such discoveries: “Remnants of military ordnance like this mortar shell remain highly volatile and dangerous despite the passage of time.”