Three people hospitalised after mystery package sent to Polish base, CBRN agents ruled out

Three people were hospitalised and more than 130 people were evacuated from a Polish military base near Nowa Deba after a suspicious package with an unusual signature was delivered.

Three people were hospitalised and more than 130 were forced to evacuate after a suspicious package was delivered to a military police station in Poland.

According to online reports, the alarm was raised on Wednesday 30 September when two soldiers and a military employee reported feeling unwell with irritation on their faces and hands after opening an envelope delivered to a military police station.

Prosecutor Marcin Kozak said the day after the incident that the card had been delivered to the deputy head of the station, who opened it to find a short note with the signature: "Greetings from the Golden One"

Hazardous materials teams were brought in to investigate the enclosed postcard but later ruled out the presence of any chemical, biological and radiological agents.

Kozak added that the letter was not "impregnated with any organoleptic substance", no impregnation of any substance was detected, and nothing spilled from the envelope either. "Therefore, there was no reason to take any special precautions regarding this letter," he added.

Three personnel nevertheless felt a shortness of breath or reported a sore throat and were given medical assistance at a hospital, but were later discharged with no signs of poisoning.

Lt. Col. Dariusz Rozkosz, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Military Police, said that package was of unknown origin and added that the military police department in Rzeszów was still investigating.

A further four gendarmes were reportedly placed in isolation without any symptoms, while 133 people were evacuated from the adjacent building.