Parcel bomb linked to earlier devices
● Police seek details from postal workers about series of packages
Po l i c e i nve s t i g a t i n g p a r c e l b ombs sent to London and Glasgow are linking the packages to those sent to British Army Recruitment Centres.
Detectives want to hear from postal workers who may have come into contact with the devices, sent via post to major transp or t hubs in the capi - tal as well as to Glasgow University between 1 March and 22 March, Scotland Yard said.
On 5 March, three packages containing small incendiary devices were delivered to transport hubs in London.
The following day, a fourth package was recovered at the University of Glasgow.
On 22 March, a fifth package was recovered, having been returned to a postal depot in Limerick, Ireland. This package has since been forensically examined and is being treated as part of the same series.
A group calling itself the IRA, known to police as the New IR A, claimed resp onsibilit y for the earlier packages and said a fifth had also been sent.
Fur ther analysis of the five p a c k a g e s h a s b e e n c a r r i e d out by forensic exper ts and, due to particular similarities between the devices and the methodolog y, the investigation teams are now formally linking the packages to those sent to various British Army recruitment centres in 2014.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, senior national co-ordinator for the UK’S Counter-terrorism Policing, said: “Our inquiries continue, but clearl y a ke y ele - ment of the investigation now is the link between the devices previously sent in 2014, and the five sent earlier this year.
“As with any investigation, we will be led by the evidence, but at this stage, our principal line of inquiry is that the devices were sent by a violent dissident republican group.
“The devices that were sent n o t o n l y p u t t h e i r i n t e n d - ed recipients in danger, but also endangered the lives of a l l t h o s e wh o h a n d l e d a n d processed the parcels both in the Republic of Ireland as well as the UK.
“This was an extremely dangerous and reckless act and I would urge anyone who may have information about those responsible to contact police.”
M r H a y d o n a d d e d : “We a r e l o o k i n g t o i d e n t i f y a ny p o s t a l w o r k e r s w h o m a y r e m e m b e r h a n d l i n g a n y o f t h e p a c k a g e s b e t w e e n 1 March and 22 March.
“We have recovered forensic evidence following examination of the devices.
“You may have information that could help us with our investigation and it would also help with our forensic inquiri e s t o b e a b l e t o e l i m i n a t e anyone who may have innocently come into contact with any of the five parcels after they were posted.”