A man in Texas, United States, was expecting old books or antique decor in a box he bought at an estate sale, but instead, he found live World War II-era grenades. According to the New York Post, the unexpected discovery happened on a Monday in northwest Austin. The resident immediately contacted authorities, and the police cordoned off the area as the bomb squad inspected the items.

“Our patrol officers, who quickly secured the scene, set up a perimeter, and kept neighbours safe while they waited for EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal],” the department wrote on Instagram.

Technicians used X-rays to look inside the metal casings and confirmed that the six grenades were “active and live”, dating back to the 1940s.

According to the media outlet, the photo shared by police shows at least three loose US Mk 2 fragmentation grenades in the box.

The devices were stable enough that they did not pose an immediate threat just sitting in the box, but they could have detonated easily if handled incorrectly.

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See the post here:

“Bomb Squad personnel assessed the devices, including X-ray examination. Based on their interpretation of the X-ray images, the grenades appeared to be live and were treated accordingly,” an Austin Police Department spokesperson told Chron.

Bomb squad experts safely secured and removed the grenades from the home. Police later confirmed that the buyer faced no legal trouble, noting that the incident was entirely accidental and not part of any criminal investigation.

“A big shoutout to our APD Bomb Squad. These officers bring a level of training, expertise, and steady nerves that most people never see,” the department wrote on Instagram.

“Handling 80-year-old explosives with unknown stability is dangerous, precise work, and they do it with the professionalism this city counts on.”