Australia: Man suspected of sending suspicious packages to embassies arrested

A man, suspected of sending suspicious packages to diplomatic missions in Australia, has been arrested, police said on Thursday. The man, aged 48, was arrested on Wednesday night at his home in Shepparton, Victoria, reports Efe news. He is accused of "sending dangerous articles to be carried by a postal service", which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, a police statement said. The suspect sent 38 parcels to consulates and embassies in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, with what is believed to be asbestos taken from his home, it said.

The police have recovered 29 of the packages and will carry out forensic analysis to determine the exact composition of the material. The statement added that police have taken steps to recover the remaining packages and there was no ongoing threat to the public. The packages were sent on Wednesday to the consulates of India, the US, Greece, France, Italy, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea and Switzerland. On Monday, authorities removed a suspicious package from the Argentine consulate in Sydney which was later found to be non-toxic.

(With inputs from agencies.)