Police investigating 679 suspicious int'l parcels among 2,141 reports nationwide
A team of police officers, Korean army and firefighters investigate unspecified international packages delivered to homes in Gangwon Province, in this July 22 photo provided by the Gangwon State Fire Headquarters. Yonhap
A total of 2,141 reports of suspicious parcels have been received across the nation over the past five days, police said Monday, though investigations so far have found none containing hazardous materials.
Of the 2,141 reports made to the police as of 5 a.m. Monday, 679 packages were collected for investigation, while the rest were found to be mistaken reports, the National Police Agency said.
The reports of suspicious international packages began Thursday, when three people working at a welfare center for the disabled in the southeastern city of Ulsan were rushed to the hospital after opening a random parcel from Taiwan. They reportedly complained of dizziness and difficulty breathing.
Similar reports of suspicious parcels have flooded in from across the nation, but no toxic or hazardous substances have been found so far. In most parcels, lip balm or other cheap products were found, with some packages delivered empty.
Police are looking into the possibility of a "brushing scam," in which sellers at online shopping platforms send unordered products to people after illegally acquiring personal information. This type of scam is aimed at boosting sales and manipulating sellers' ratings on online shopping sites.
Authorities called for vigilance against suspicious international parcels. They said the color of such packages could be yellow or black, and they could have "CHUNGHWA POST" written on them. They added that the sender's written address could be P.O. Box 100561-003777, Taipei, Taiwan. (Yonhap)