ERR News wrote on September 12, 2019, that several explosives were removed from an apartment building in Õismäe in Tallinn.

Now, Harju County Court is settling the criminal case under compromise procedure, in which the accused, 46-year-old Urmas Piht, agreed to accept a jail sentence of seven years and six months. The confirmation of his sentence will be decided on by the court.

The North District Prosecutor's Office is accusing Piht of illegally possessing, storing and processing explosives. According to the charges, he took approximately four kilograms of explosives to his residence on Õismäe Street at an unspecified time. There, he dealt with the extraction of explosives from the ammunition and explosive ordnance found.

In 2013, Piht had been fined for illegally handling an explosive and was released on probation for three years.

The prosecutor's office is also accusing Piht of illegally acquiring and possessing large quantities of ammunition and illegally handling firearms and ammunition prohibited for civilian use. Namely, cartridges and barrels for firearms fit for use were found in his home.

According to the data collected in the framework of the criminal proceedings, the man found at least some of the explosives and firearms cartridges in various places in Harju County, including the Männiku forest and training grounds.

According to North District Prosecutor Eneli Laurits, Piht said he is interested in history and added that finding and collecting old explosives was a hobby.

"Unfortunately, this activity is illegal and the Penal Code provides for such a severe penalty for handling explosives because it is extremely dangerous. The fact that the accused possessed and handled explosives in an apartment building potentially endangered all the occupants of the building. During the search of the man's apartment, the entire building was evacuated and some of the explosives were immediately destroyed, which illustrates how dangerous the experts considered what happened in the man's place of residence to be," the prosecutor said.

The Internal Security Service searched Piht's Õismäe apartment on September 10, 2019. Prior to that, all residents were evacuated from one stairwell of the nine-storey apartment building.

The proceedings, which lasted for the whole evening and night, were concluded by the authorities the next morning. Piht was arrested and taken into custody at the request of the prosecutor's office and with the permission of the court.

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