With the spate of suspicious packages targeting prominent Democrats and others, authorities want the public to know how to spot a possible mail bomb.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – With the spate of suspicious packages targeting prominent Democrats and others, authorities want the public to know how to spot a possible mail bomb.
Some of the things to look out for on the outside of the package: A lack of a return address, restrictive markings like “personal,” “overnight delivery,” or “do not x-ray.” Other indicators include poor typing or misspelled names and addresses, or the wrong or misspelled title and name on the package.
Other possible indicators include a rigid or bulky envelope, excessive postage, envelopes sealed with excessive amounts of tape, protruding wires, oily stains on the wrapping, a strange odor or lopsided packaging.
If you suspect a package may be dangerous, the NYPD urges people to leave the area immediately before calling 911. They urge you not to use a cell phone, pager or two-way radio while anywhere near a suspected device.
All 10 of the packages in the current series targeting Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and others share certain characteristics: All had a return address of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz (sic), the Florida Democrat who is also formerly the chair of the Democratic National Committee. They all came in a manila envelope and had six stamps, and appear to use the same printer for the address labels, which were taped onto the packages.
The device in each package also appears to be similar, involving PVC tubing, black tape, a timer, and glass for shrapnel.
For more information on how to spot a suspicious package from the National Explosives Task Force and United States Postal Service, click here (.pdf).
