Postal authorities search for source of suspicious package

Postal authorities search for
source of suspicious package


JERRY WOLKOWITZ  Members of the Monmouth County Haz-Mat Team and the New Jersey State Police bomb squad decontaminate themselves after examining a suspicious package found at the Marlboro post office, Route 79, July 24.JERRY WOLKOWITZ Members of the Monmouth County Haz-Mat Team and the New Jersey State Police bomb squad decontaminate themselves after examining a suspicious package found at the Marlboro post office, Route 79, July 24.

MARLBORO — The U.S. Postal Service is investigating an incident in which a suspicious package was discovered at the Marlboro Post Office July 24. The post office occupies one of the spaces in a strip mall at the corner of Route 79 and School Road West.

On that Tuesday afternoon, a postal worker reported the discovery of a package marked by an odorous stain which "drew attention," according to Marlboro Police Lt. Tim Emmons.

The postal worker contacted officials at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New-ark, which sent inspectors to Marlboro at about 1 p.m. The first inspectors to arrive took X-rays of the package but were not able to determine it was not dangerous, according to postal inspector Joel Wolber.

From 3:30-9:30 p.m., 12 police officers were dispatched to the location in addition to the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad, the Monmouth County Haz-Mat Response Team, the Marlboro Fire Company, the Marlboro First Aid Squad and MONOC paramedics. The situation ended at about 10 p.m.

The county hazardous materials team disassembled the shoebox-size package after members of the bomb squad had determined it was not an explosive, Wolber said. He said the package contained a plain brown capless bottle with crystallized pesticide inside along with several smoke detector devices.

"These were not useful items that were in the box," Wolber said of the contents of the package.

He said it was not known whether the package was intended as a scare or prank, or if there was a rational purpose behind the mailing. The package, which had initially been mailed from New Jersey, was returned to the Marlboro Post Office after it had been sent to a Torrance, Calif., engineering firm which is no longer in operation, Wolber said.

Wolber would not disclose the name of the California company nor the name written as the return address. He said the person in whose post office box the package was placed upon its receipt in Marlboro told employees at the post office that he was not the person who mailed it. That was the start of the investigation.

"If we can identify who put that package together and mailed it, we’d certainly like to talk to that person," Wolber said. "We really don’t know what the purpose of the mailing was. If an intent to do harm, or cause havoc to the public, or cause alarm is determined, we will attempt to get someone prosecuted."

Postal service pubic information officer Tony Esposito said, "We’re following up on some very good leads. We expect in the very near future we’ll have resolution to this case.

Emmons added that the situation "was treated as a threat of the highest level. It gave the appearance it could have been a bomb."

The lieutenant said the pesticides could have acted as a dangerous irritant to any individuals who might have come in contact with them.

The "very coordinated effort" of the police, the postal service and the emergency services personnel was "a smooth operation of agencies working together," said Emmons, who was the Marlboro Police Department’s shift commander during the night of the incident. "The postal worker (who discovered the package) deserves a pat on the back."

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

— Theresa A. Boschen