Italian man arrested for posting homemade explosives on social media

A man residing in Pontecchio Polesine, in the Rodigino region, has been arrested by the State Police following an investigation into social media posts featuring homemade explosive devices, weapons, and ammunition.

The investigation began after the Central Directorate for Cybersecurity in Rome flagged a social media profile to the Digos of Rovigo and the Cybersecurity Operational Center in Venice. The profile contained images of knives, bullets, and alleged self-made explosive devices, along with captions suggesting their offensive capabilities.

During a search of the suspect's home, authorities seized an inert homemade device shown in the posts, various illegal caliber bullets, and several “push dagger” style knives. Investigators also recovered a modified blank-firing pistol deemed potentially capable of firing live rounds, as well as handwritten notes containing instructions for manufacturing explosive devices.