Officials call for secure explosives

"We were obviously in error that nobody knew about it," said Sheriff Don Horsley.

The alarm system guarding the location apparently wasn't working either at the time of the break in when 200 pounds of explosives were stolen, he said. The site was not guarded by a human.

To get to the munition vault where the explosives were stashed, Allan probably used a torch to cut through two intricately locked gates and a steel door, Horsley said.

The crime indicates Allan may have had inside knowledge of the remote location, he said. Allan, 46, hasn't been charged yet but is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Oakland Friday.

In the meantime, Horsley said the Crystal Springs vault can no longer be used now that it's been broadcast all over the media.

"We have to find another location," he said. "And next time, we're going to have a series of alarms."

Supervisor Mike Nevin also called on Congress yesterday to give the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives jurisdiction over the surveillance and monitoring of similar facilities nationwide. The minimum security standards at the storage facility are currently left to the discretion of local law enforcement agencies.

The county and involved agencies may also decide to install a wireless camera system at the new location. The cameras will allow law enforcement to monitor the new location at all times, Nevin said.

ATF spokeswoman Marti McKee has said the 200 pounds of stolen explosives could have caused significant damage in the wrong hands.

Allan was arrested Wednesday night after authorities got a tip leading them to his van in the parking lot of a Union City Home Depot. Just what Allan intended to do with the explosives still isn't clear. Officials said Allan had methamphetamine in his possession when he was arrested.

Authorities are questioning a second suspect, a woman.

"One of them was a meth abuser," Horsley said. "How smart they could've been is up in the air."

Among the goods stolen from an undisclosed storage facility in Crystal Springs are about 800 blasting caps, 1,700 feet of detonation cord, 114 pounds of binary explosives, 75 feet of detonation sheet and between 30 and 35 pounds of C-4. The latter two are explosives typically used in military operations.

The theft was discovered over the holiday weekend. A number of agencies share use of the storage facility, including the FBI, the San Francisco Police Department and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

In the meantime, Horsley said the seized explosives will likely be destroyed. Officials may retain some of the C-4 explosives to train its four bomb dogs, he said.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109.