ROME, Feb 3: An Italian prosecutor on Monday extended the custody of 28 Pakistanis who were detained in Naples last week on suspicion of having links with terrorists after explosives were found in their home, judicial officials said.

Deputy public prosecutor Franco Roberti said there was “serious evidence” to keep the men in custody after they had been questioned.

Anti-terrorist police were to pursue their search of the building on Monday, four days after the suspects were detained in a routine check.

Half of the suspects, aged 20 to 48, have no legal residence papers.

La Repubblica newspaper said that 13 of the suspects had refused to answer questions by investigators, while the others said they were innocent and had been unaware about the explosives.

The detainies also told the investigators that they had arrived in Italy between several days and several months ago after fleeing Pakistan.

Bomb squads with trained dogs and infra-red detection equipment combed the building in Naples, where they had seized the explosive material overnight on Thursday.—AFP