Police probing multiple suspect parcels, one of which sparked a hazmat operation
A police investigation is underway after multiple people received a weird package claiming to be from the government, with one sparking a hazmat operation.
A police investigation is underway after a number of Sydneysiders received suspicious packages in their mailbox, purporting to be a health treatment from the government.
One resident in the Blacktown region in the city’s southwest opened the small fabric bag and handled its contents, and suffered what they believed was an adverse reaction.
A NSW Fire and Rescue hazardous material response unit was deployed to the home, alongside NSW Police, and the item was taken away.
Specialist fire crews also conducted a sweep of the area, including in a nearby storm drain.
The emergency operation has now concluded.
Earlier today, news.com.au revealed NSW Health had issued an urgent advisory after a number of residents in the Leppington and Austral area found small fabric bags with an unknown item inside in their mailboxes on Monday.
A typed message on an attached label described the contents as “a handcrafted gift and personal remedial therapy for you and your family” that is a “NSW Health Services incentive”.
A landline telephone number, mobile and email address were also included. They are legitimate contacts for the NSW Health Agency for Clinical Innovation.
At the bottom of the note is a handwritten message that reads: “Compliments of Our Father.”
NSW Fire and Rescue declined to comment on the hazmat operation. NSW Ambulance Service also refused to comment.
A resident of a neighbouring property took to Reddit to say emergency services were at the scene for about an hour before leaving.
The package they received, which they threw in the bin, was also “recovered” by the hazmat team, the person added.
An investigation is now underway and police urge anyone with information to come forward.
“The public is advised that if they receive an item of this nature, they should avoid handling the package and contact police immediately,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
“Members of the public coming into contact with these items should wash their hands thoroughly.”
One recipient who spoke to news.com.au said she found the item in her letterbox at about midday and became concerned, donning gloves in case the contents were hazardous.
“I checked my video cameras,” she said.
“There’s a man walking around with one of those trolleys you move large objects with, like a cupboard or drawers.”
A still of the security vision provided to news.com.au shows the man wearing a navy jacket and carrying a plastic shopping bag, wheeling a trolley.
He can be seen putting the package in her mailbox just after 11am before moving onto other houses along the street.
A neighbour who opened the fabric bag found that it contained what appeared to be a small cumquat.
The matter was reported to NSW Health and on Monday night the department issued an advisory across its social media channels.
“NSW Health is aware that cards and packages have been places in letterboxes in some homes in Sydney falsely claiming to be a ‘gift’ and ‘remedial therapy’ from NSW Health,” it said.
“NSW Health will never leave ‘gifts’ in your letterbox.
“We have reported this matter to NSW Police. We strongly advise anyone who has received such a package to safely dispose of it without opening it.”
A post on Reddit about the suspicious items attracted dozens of comments, including from health professionals who reiterated that authorities would never “go around just dumping random treatments in people’s mailboxes”.
“We’ve no idea what you have or how it may interact with any existing medication you’re on,” one nurse wrote.
During the early stages of the Covid pandemic, a number of unsolicited packages containing small packets of seeds were received across Australia.
Federal authorities received dozens of reports of suspect parcels that originated in China, Taiwan and Malaysia being sent to addresses across the country over a several week period in mid-2020.
They contained small zip lock bags of unknown seeds, sparking a biosecurity scare as well as a host of conspiracy theories on social media.
Eventually, the Department of Agriculture concluded the matter was likely a case of ‘brushing’, a phenomenon where people received packages of cheap items they didn’t order from online stores like Amazon.
Online merchants engaging in ‘brushing’ create fake customer accounts to place orders so they can leave a legitimate review, boosting the legitimacy and visibility of a seller.
“Seeds are often used because they are light and cheap to send through the mail,” the Department of Agriculture said at the time.
Authorities took the matter seriously because of Australia’s strict biosecurity regulations and the need to prevent harmful pests and plant materials from entering the country.
While seemingly harmless for the recipient, internet security firm NordVPN said the arrival of a dodgy package is a strong indication of personal data exposure.
“If you receive an unexpected package that is not a gift, it probably means that your personal information, like your name and home address, has been compromised,” it said in an advisory.
“This might mean that your data was leaked in a data breach, that your account has been compromised, or that the scammer bought your data in an illegal marketplace.
“There is a possibility that they have obtained some more sensitive personal information about you and might use it to perform identity theft.”
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