The buildings of several foreign missions in Australia had to be evacuated after suspicious packages had been found there. Now a man was arrested. The contents of the packages will continue to be checked.
After finding suspicious packages in embassies and consulates in Australia, investigators arrested a suspect. The 48-year-old was arrested at his home the night of Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court soon, police said. He faces up to ten years in prison for the shipment of hazardous substances by mail.
The detainee is said to be responsible for the shipment of 38 parcels sent to national representations in the metropolises of Melbourne and Sydney as well as in the capital Canberra. It contained a substance, which had previously been suspected of being a suspected white powder, the exact composition of which was still being examined. So far, 29 of these packages have been secured, they said.
Several buildings evacuated
There is no danger to the public. Affected were, inter alia, diplomatic representations of France, India and Switzerland. To be on the safe side, several buildings were evacuated and closed. At first it was said that a package had also been handed in at the German consulate in Melbourne. The Foreign Office denied this, however.
