$7m of rocket fuel goes up

Ten tonnes of solid rocket fuel seized two years ago has been blown up at Castle Peak (right) by police after it failed to attract a buyer.

Customs and Excise officers in April 1996 seized $6.8 million worth of ammonium perchlorate at the Kwai Chung container terminal.

It was bound for Pakistan on the mainland ship Qinghe, they said.

Police believe the chemical, which was illegally in transit in Hong Kong on its way from North Korea, was destined for 'sinister' use.

The latest edition of the police newspaper Offbeat, published today, reports that the chemical was destroyed after 50kg containers were placed in four blast pits.

No country, company or individual challenged confiscation of the fuel.

It had to be destroyed because no one had expressed an interest in the Government's international tender for sale, issued last November.