Whangārei man charged over home-made bomb and firearms stash remanded in custody

Police search a property on Otaika Rd, Whangārei, on April 5 where a bomb and stash of firearms were allegedly found.

A Whangārei man accused of having a home-made bomb and illegal stash of firearms has been remanded in custody.

Daniel Paul Van Houten, 36, appeared briefly in the Whangārei District Court today after police raided an Otaika Rd property on April 5.

He is charged with unlawful possession of a .223 AK-47, unlawful possession of a semi-automatic 308, unlawful possession of a pistol Comet Flare gun, unlawful possession of 308 ammunition and unlawful possession of .223 ammunition.

Van Houten also faces a charge of unlawful possession of an explosive device, namely an improvised explosive device.

An improvised explosive device (IED), is a home-made bomb constructed from military or non-military components.

Van Houten was today further remanded in custody to reappear in the court on May 1.

At 8am on April 8 police carried out a search warrant at an Otaika Rd house and continued to search the property the following day.

Police said they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the search and there was no ongoing risk to the public.