Last week, a mail-bombing campaign targeted several addresses across the UK. The packages, which were A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow Jiffy bags, were sent to transportation hubs in England and Scotland, and were designed to start fires upon opening. Thankfully, only one of the packages ignited and no one was hurt, but those responsible have yet to be apprehended.
Instances of explosive, incendiary, poisonous or otherwise harmful substances being sent to addresses in order to cause harm are extremely rare. However, this latest series of incidents demonstrates that the risk of harm or damage to property does still exist.
Those organisations or businesses that receive high volumes of mail should be particularly vigilant, as it is easy to become complacent when routinely handling lots of packages on a daily basis. Official advice from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure exists to help identify and deal with suspicious items, including looking for greasy or oily stains on packages, over-paid postage and unexpected deliveries by hand.
If a suspicious package is identified, other important advice recommends clearing the area immediately, not to use mobile phones or radios within fifteen metres, and of course notify the police, either on 999 or via a confidential hotline: 0800 789 321.
If you believe that your organisation could potentially be at risk, and you’d like to find out more about specialist equipment to further help detect dangerous items, visit this page, where you can also request a free and non-obligation quote.
