Arrest after packages sent to embassies

Australian police have arrested a man after 38 suspicious packages containing a possibly hazardous substance were sent to foreign consulates in the Australian cities of Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

The 48-year-old was arrested at his home in Shepparton, Victoria state, on Wednesday night, and charged with sending dangerous articles to be carried by a postal service, police said. He was due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday.

Around 10 diplomatic missions, mostly in Melbourne, on Wednesday reported the delivery of suspicious packages, some of them labelled “asbestos”.

The missions included those from the United States, Britain, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Israel, Switzerland and Greece. The New Zealand consulate in Melbourne was evacuated.

Both Pakistan and New Zealand’s offices received envelopes containing small plastic bags with what appeared to be concrete and asbestos inside.

The Australian government had issued a warning to foreign missions on Tuesday about suspicious mail items, after an earlier discovery of three packages.

Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police said in a joint statement that they would allege the substance in the packages was sourced from the man’s Shepparton home.

“Police have so far recovered 29 of these packages, with forensic testing to be undertaken on them to determine the exact composition of the material in them,” the statement said.

“Police have identified all intended recipients and have put processes in place to recover the outstanding packages. There is no ongoing threat to the general public,” it added.