Counter-terror police in the UK fear there could be more explosive devices circulating, after three were found at airports and a railway station in London yesterday.
The letters were discovered at Waterloo train station, and office buildings at Heathrow and London City airports.
All the packages were A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow jiffy bags.
At Heathrow, staff opened the package “causing the device to initiate.”
Police said this “resulted in part of the package burning”.
Nobody was injured, but the building was evacuated “as a precaution”.
The other two packages were not opened.
Officers have warned postal and transport workers to be vigilant.
They've stressed that "no passengers were put in harm’s way" by the devices.
Met Police urged any passengers who "see something that doesn’t look right" to contact them.
We're treating the incidents as a linked series & keeping an open mind regarding motives. Flights at Heathrow & City Airport have not been effected. Train services at Waterloo Station continue to operate. As a precaution, some DLR services were suspended but now fully operational
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 5, 2019
"Keeping an open mind"
London mayor Sadiq Khan has said police are treating the incidents as linked, but are "keeping an open mind regarding the motives".
He added: "While transport services continue to operate as normal, I urge all Londoners and visitors to our city to remain vigilant, and report any potential suspicious packages to the police."
Gardai are working with British police, because at least two of the packages had Irish stamps on them.
However, UK policing expert Graham Wettone said that may not mean anything.
He explained: "In an investigation, you keep an open mind at all times - so that might be a lead, it might not be.
"The fact that it comes from Ireland obviously makes people think of previous terror groups, but as an investigator you have to keep an open mind."
Here, the Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee has condemned the actions of those behind the incidents.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, she said: "It's completely unacceptable that that kind of action or those kind of actions would have any place in our society - whether it was intended to injure people or otherwise.
"I know the gardaí are working with the English police.
"Really [the incidents] need to be condemned by everybody, and whoever has done it needs to be caught and prosecuted."
