The Brussels public prosecutor's office went into lockdown on Tuesday after two envelopes mailed there were deemed suspicious, triggering an emergency response over what turned out to be a false scare.
The building on Rue des Quatre Bras was evacuated and closed to the public for several hours on Tuesday morning after two envelops were mailed in.
A security perimeter was established around the building and the DOVO explosives unit called to the scene, Bruzz reports.
"The envelopes were considered suspicious and it was immediately decided to set up a security zone and to take the necessary measures," spokesperson Stéphanie Lagasse told the outlet.
The envelopes were scanned with an X-ray device and examined by a sniffer dog, after which it was established that they contained no dangerous substances.
The building was reopened to the public at around noon, but civil protection teams remained onsite, according to BX1.
The incident marks the second time in two days that false alarms over suspicious packages trigger emergency evacuation procedures in the area.
The neighbouring Palais de Justice was completely evacuated on Monday after a suspicious package was found, triggering a false bomb scare and delaying a landmark international genocide trial at the Brussels court of assises.
While the two envelopes on Tuesday were cleared of dangerous contents, the public prosecutor opened an investigation to track the sender.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
