UK: Series of suspicious packages mailed to parliament

Event

London police are investigating a series of threatening packages mailed to Muslim members of parliament in the past week. Packages were received at parliament offices on Monday, March 12, and Tuesday, March 13, reportedly containing a letter calling for “Punish a Muslim Day” and in some cases, a mysterious substance that was later deemed non-hazardous. On Thursday, March 15, another suspicious package was opened; however, authorities have not disclosed who it was addressed to. Two people were taken to the hospital as a precaution but the unidentified substance contained in the package was once again found to be harmless.

Context

Over the last few weeks, several suspicious packages have been intercepted at offices in the British parliament containing a mystery substance. A similar package was also sent to the royal palace, allegedly addressed to Prince Harry and his fiancée.

According to the British government, hate crimes have nearly doubled in England from 2013 to 2017 and those motivated by religious hatred have nearly quadrupled. Last week, the leaders of the anti-Muslim extremist group Britain First were convicted of hate crimes and sentenced to jail.

Advice

Individuals in London are advised to monitor developments to the situation and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities.