“Town Crier” newsletter – Briefs from the Region (1) – 2/20/20
The Feb. 18 discovery of a military-grade landmine inside a Montana State University student’s car prompted MSU police to seal off the parking lot to unauthorized access. The Bulgarian-made landmine, ordered by a student interested in collecting military memorabilia and paraphernalia, spurred a quick investigation. According to Montana Public Radio, the device’s vendor was put under investigation after U.S. Postal authorities flagged their operations when a package, sourced back to the vendor, dropped in Minnesota began to vibrate. This led investigators to the MSU campus after tracking similar shipments. Fortunately a Helena-based explosive disposal unit confirmed the landmine was inactive since the vendor in question deliberately removes explosives and primers from its products. The student faces no disciplinary action and MSU spokesperson Michael Becker told MTPR, “… I will reiterate this is sold as a novelty item. There is no indication whatsoever this person had any wayward intentions.”
