USA TODAY
Investigators remove the car of the Texas serial-bombing suspect who detonated an explosive and killed himself as authorities closed in on him Tuesday night in Round Rock, Texas.
Package bombs like the one that exploded at a FedEx distribution facility in Texas this week generate headlines and provoke anxiety.
But they are viewed by logistics experts as a relatively minor risk to the massive package-delivery network, and many threats can likely be deflected with common-sense precautions.
The odds of receiving a bomb through the mail are about one in 1 billion, the U.S. Postal Service said in a report. And rather than being random, these acts usually are targeted to individuals or businesses, reducing the danger to the general public.
“Honestly, this isn’t really a new (concern) to package carriers,” said Dale Rogers, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. “They know it can happen, and they have developed methods (to minimize the risks) that are pretty good.”
Package-delivery services don’t provide many details on how they identify and reduce bombing risks.
“The safety and security measures in place across the FedEx networks are designed to protect the safety of our people, customers and communities, and to assist law enforcement as appropriate,” FedEx said in a prepared statement sent to The Arizona Republic, without elaborating.
Rival UPS, in a statement provided to the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, said, “We have security measures in place, but we do not discuss them in order to maintain their effectiveness.”
UPS and FedEx by themselves deliver around 28 million packages and documents each day.
Rogers said the Department of Homeland Security discourages businesses from revealing much about their defenses.
“If they talked about how they figured (crimes) out, it would be much easier for the bad guys to get away with it in the future,” he said.
Package bombs usually target specific people
What makes package bombs unnerving is that they often appear to be random and anonymous.
But the Postal Service, which has investigated mail crimes of various sorts for more than two centuries, asserted in its report that package bombs usually target specific individuals — former lovers, business partners and employers; or judges, law-enforcement personnel and others with a direct connection.
And contrary to public perceptions, package bombs usually aren’t sent by people motivated by radical political beliefs, according to the Postal Service report.
Bombs placed in specific locations rather than mailed, like some of the recent incidents in Texas, are generally intended to disrupt workplaces and injure indiscriminately, the report added.
Most explosive devices are placed rather than
Telltale signs of package bombs
While the risks of receiving a package bomb are low, businesses and consumers can reduce the dangers further with vigilance and common sense.
Telltale signs cited by the Postal Service include heavily taped packages, often with misspelled or badly printed words and no return address and often with excess amounts of postage attached, possibly mailed from another country.
Suspicious packages also might be stained or discolored in spots, might emit strange odors and could be covered in powders or other unusual substances, with wires protruding. Media reports indicate one of the Texas bombs had a nearly invisible tripwire.
Packages arriving at businesses might be addressed to a generic officer such as “operations manager” rather than a specific person.
Experts suggest isolating suspicious packages if possible without handling, opening, tasting or smelling them. If a package arrives at work, employees should notify a supervisor immediately. Otherwise, call law enforcement at 911 or alert the Postal Service.
Package-bomb risks do exist, but they are considered extremely low.
“How many times do you hear of something blowing up at FedEx, UPS or the Postal Service?” asked Rogers. “The U.S. supply chain is the most secure in the world.”
FedEx’s latest 10K financial report didn’t even mention package bombings as a material threat. It instead cited risks including those posed by natural disasters, the economy, fuel prices, reputational damage from data leaks and other potential problems, labor relations, fuel prices and competition (from Amazon.com, specifically).
FedEx devoted considerable attention in its report to technological threats.
“Any disruption to our complex, global technology infrastructure, including those impacting our computer systems and websites, could result in the loss of confidential business or customer information, adversely impact our operations, customer service, volumes and revenues, or could lead to litigation or investigations, resulting in significant costs,” the company said in the report. mailed or sent through a package-delivery service.
Foreign terrorists are potential threats, especially to companies with employees or staff in other nations or businesses with controversial products or political connections. Other entities could be vulnerable if they have raised the ire of domestic hate groups.
Workplace-related violence is another risk, especially at businesses that have had layoffs or other recent disruptions. Company officers should pay attention when employees complain of being abused, harassed, threatened or stalked, according to the Postal Service report.