London Bombers Made Their Own HMDT

The New York Police Department revealed that the first wave of London bombers made their explosive, hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMDT), out of products that could have been bought at a hardware store or a beauty shop. It is based on peroxide which can be extracted from the hydrogen peroxide in hair bleach, citric acid used as common food preservative, or heat tablets used by campers to cook outdoors.

HMDT degrades quickly so the bombers kept it in commercial grade refrigerators they bought and installed in their Leeds flophouse. That was a big red flag that something was up. Another report by a neighbor also said that when they left their windows open to air out the place, the leaves of the trees next to their apartment turned brown. Another red flag.