The C-4 explosives recovered in an East Village cemetery over the weekend were made more than a dozen years ago, initial police tests show.

Bomb experts with the New York Police Department found that the eight bricks of military-grade explosive, totaling about 10 pounds, lacked identifying markers known as taggants, which manufacturers were required to include in the putty-like compound starting in 1997, said Paul J. Browne, the department’s chief spokesman. These taggants were added to help authorities trace the material even after an explosion.
The explosives, which were initially found in New York City Marble Cemetery in 2009 and turned up again on Sunday, have been positively identified as M112 bricks manufactured exclusively for the military, meaning that the cache was most likely stolen from a military base at some point.

The police have not identified a suspect in the placement of the explosives. The package did not include a detonator and therefore could not have gone off.

C-4 has an indefinite shelf life and is known for its stability and durability under a wide range of conditions.

Thefts of explosives from military bases have been a longtime concern. Last November, agents arrested a special forces sergeant outside Fort Campbell, Ky., with 100 pounds of C-4.

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(Source: NY Times)