Government has banned the importation of “scratch bombs”.

The announcement was made yesterday by National Security Minister Stuart Young yesterday.

The Minister said “scratch bombs” are now ommitted from the list of items that can be imported legally.

Minister Young was speaking during the Post Cabinet News Conference in Port of Spain yesterday afternoon.

He said the ban has been long in coming as various calls were made to government to outlaw the devices.

He recalled an incident a few years ago where irresonsible persons threw a “scratch bomb” into a car which resulted in a woman losing some of her fingers.

Also, in recent weeks a dwelling in south Trinidad was destroyed after a “scratch bomb” landed in a nearby shed.