Speaking during the ceremony held in Kulhudhufushshi island in Haa Dhaal Atoll to mark Victory Day, Umar said the device was placed on a street often used by the president. "This was also an attempt to kill the president. The president travels via that road almost everyday," he said. Maldives military had confirmed that the suspected device found in a vehicle parked near the presidential residence of Muliaage in capital Male was an improvised explosive device which had been subsequently been diffused. "The device was placed on the battery pack of a white truck parked on the north side of Muliaage [presidential palace.]," MNDF Captain Ali Ihsaan said at a press conference Monday evening. According to Ihsaan, a dynamite stick had been used as the primary explosive in the device which was designed to be remotely detonated. Umar said the potential blast radius of the device would have definitely taken out the presidential car. "It was designed to be remotely detonated. If it was set off, it had the potential blast radius of about 60 feet. So a blast of that size would have damaged the houses in the area and resulted in loss of lives," Umar said. The discovery of the IED came just over a month after an explosion aboard the presidential speedboat carrying President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom now confirmed as an attempt to kill the president. President Yameen was unhurt but his spouse and two others were hurt in the explosion. The primary suspect in the blast appears to be Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor who was arrested on October 24 as soon as he arrived from an official trip to China. Umar, who also co-chairs the enquiry commission set up by the president to investigate the blast, said the two plots were not politically motivated but were attempts to attain power. "These were plots to attain power without an election," he added. The minister assured that the police and the military are determined to ensure the safety and security of the nation and its people. The government has intensified its crackdown on the vice president and his associates. Before and since the vice president’s arrest, police jointly with armed soldiers have been carrying out raids across capital Male. Most of the houses and offices searched so far had direct links to the vice president. Meanwhile, security forces are finding weapons in a number of raids across the country. The army confirmed Saturday that two assault rifles found in the biggest weapons bust in Maldives' recent history belonged to the state armoury. The items showcased during a press conference earlier Saturday included several hand guns, a T56 assault rifle and a MP5 sub-machine gun. In addition, a large quantity of bomb making material were also displayed at the press briefing. The weapons had been seized from Hibilhadhoo island in Baa Atoll being developed as a resort.