ST. LOUIS — This week, the FBI Eastern Missouri Bomb Tech Task Force, along with state and federal partners, will make themselves available to recover potentially explosive military ordnances out of homes and businesses.
During a press conference on Monday, Interim Special Agent for the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office Spencer Evans said that the task force saw an increase in the number of calls about devices over the last six months.
The Army Corps of Engineers found three cannonballs from the Civil War Era at the beginning of January in the depths of the Mississippi River while cleaning.
Some of the common artillery include claymore mines and grenades.
Officials said as time passes, the items can become less stable, resulting in a higher risk of injury when handling them.
“We’re seeing this stuff people find in swap meets. You find it in your uncle’s basement. It’s something that’s been handed down for years,” Evans said.
Officials said in prior wars, controls were not as strict, items were misplaced, or mistaken as inert.
"These are munitions that are designed to kill people. That's pretty much their sole purpose and that's what we're trying to stop," said Brian Reimer with the St. Charles Police Bomb Squad.
When the call comes in, Reimer and his team examine it and put it in a specially designed box for transport.
"We will take that down to the St. Louis County bomb range and counter-charge it down there where we can do it safely," Reimer continued.
The Task Force made clear that the effort is not designed to gather evidence or to prosecute people but rather to ensure public safety.
Those who discover ordnances in their possession are instructed not to move, touch, handle, or transport them.
Call the dedicated number through Friday, Jan. 28, for the operation at 314-589-2680.