A powder found in a letter addressed to the US Embassy in Belgium has been confirmed as a harmless mix of medication, according to the Hal-Vilvorde public prosecutor’s office.
The envelope was intercepted on Wednesday at a warehouse located on Fabrieksstraat in Zaventem. Mail intended for the US Embassy is sent to a separate depot, where it undergoes sorting and security checks before reaching the embassy.
Upon discovering the powder, the envelope was placed in a specialised inspection cabin equipped with an air-extraction system to safely examine suspicious substances. Police and firefighters were alerted and quickly arrived on the scene.
Emergency services established a security zone, and the individual who had come into contact with the envelope was placed in quarantine. Civil Defence teams were also deployed to analyse the substance.
Tests revealed the powder was an innocuous mixture of medication, including ibuprofen.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that no dangerous substances were involved, and the quarantine measures for the affected individual were subsequently lifted.
