The China Post
Date: September 3, 2016
By: Stephanie Chao
The Presidential Office confirmed Friday that it had received two suspicious packages ahead of
A Criminal Investigation Bureau officer handles a package after the bureau received notice from the Presidential Office of possible explosive packages on Friday, Sept. 2.
(Photo courtesy of the Criminal Investigation Bureau)
today’s planned protest against the administration’s pension reforms.
The two packages were eventually declared not harmful by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), with later reports confirming the absence of explosive materials.
CIB officials told the Central News Agency that the packages contained a letter, a recording machine and batteries, and what appeared to be an appeal to the Presidential Office over perceived injustices in the judicial system.
The two packages had been delivered through the postal service and were deemed a probable threat by Presidential Office security, according to presidential spokesman Alex Huang.
Around 10 a.m., the two packages went through an X-ray inspection that showed they contained batteries, cables and circuit boards.
Concerned at the possibility of explosive devices, the Presidential Office contacted the CIB and the packages were quickly processed by the 5th Investigation Corps bomb squad.
Tsai Bids to Boost Army Morale
Also Friday, President Tsai Ing-wen presided over the 2016 Armed Forces Day and National Defense Education Day event amid the increasingly vocal discontent of veterans, retired civil servants and teachers. [FULL STORY]
