Bahrain: Bahrain on Saturday said it disrupted an attempt to smuggle explosives into the country.

Two Bahraini suspects were arrested after the Bahrain Coast Guard, in coordination with the Police Aviation Unit and Bahrain Royal Naval Force, intercepted a vessel heading towards Bahrain, the Interior Ministry said.

The Interior Ministry named the suspects as Mahdi Subah Abdul Mohsen Mohammad, 30, and Abbas Abdul Hussain Abdullah Mohammad, also 30.

Initial inquiries showed that Mahdi received military training in Iran during August 2013. The training included the manufacturing and use of explosive ordinance and improvised explosive devices, as well as firearms training at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards' camp, the ministry said in a statement carried by Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

The suspects were also provided with funds to assist the failed smuggling operation.

“The two suspects arrested attempted to dispose of the materials they received off the coast of Bahrain; however they were later recovered by the Bahraini Coast Guard and were found to contain a lethal mix of materials, including 43.8 kg of the powerful explosive C4, eight automatic assault rifles (Kalashnikov), 32 Kalashnikov magazines, and ammunition and detonators. The two suspects have admitted receiving the shipment from Iranian handlers outside Bahrain’s territorial waters,” the ministry said.

Investigations have also revealed that Mahdi was recruited by a Bahraini citizen, Jaffar Ahmed Salman, currently a fugitive in Iran. He is said to have facilitated travel, financing and training.

“Two other individuals have been arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt have been named locally as Tawfeeq Ibrahim Ali, 34, and Jaffar Mirza Jaffar, 31. The arrestees have admitted their involvement in two previous smuggling attempts that took place in 2013 and 2014.”

The ministry said the latest incident followed a number of failed attempts to smuggle explosive materials into Bahrain recently.

Last month the Bahraini Police announced the discovery of a weapons stash containing large quantities of internationally sourced explosives and bomb-making materials in the Dar Kulaib area, in the south of the country, planned for use in terrorist attacks.

Authorities said those arrested have been referred to the Public Prosecution while investigations continue.