Toxic Material Scare At Thai Embassy

[Jai Dee]

TOXIN SCARE AT EMBASSY IN KL

Foreign embassies in Kuala Lumpur including the Thai embassy were thrown into chaos yesterday after suspicious packages were discovered there.

The chain of events began when officials were evacuated from the Japanese embassy after having received a suspicious package mailed from Kelantan state in Malaysia. Police later sealed off the vicinity as a special toxic materials team moved in to remove the small box.

Police said that the embassies of Thailand, Canada, Italy, and Australia had also received packages. About an hour after the Japanese Embassy was alerted, police were called to the nearby Thai embassy. Police retrieved mail at the embassy without prompting an evacuation.

The Philippines was the last embassy to receive such a package, at 7 a.m. in Malaysia, which contained a CD ROM and an oily substance.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson SIHASAK PHUANGKETKAEW (สีหศัก พวงเกตุแก้ว) revealed that the Thai embassy received the mailed packaged at about 2.30 p.m. The mail contained liquid and a CD containing a threatening message in English.

The package was addressed to the former Thai ambassador to Malaysia, instead of the current one.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันพุธที่ 5 ตุลาคม 2548