Check those Christmas packages

Before opening that Christmas package, make sure there are no suspicious strings or wires attached.

In the wake of heightened terrorist activities and the accompanying jitters in the run-up to Christmas, authorities have issued guidelines on how to detect bombs in parcels, packages and plain letters in the mail.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) does not dismiss the possibility that terrorists of all stripes — from the al-Qaeda-linked ones to the plain pranksters — may use the mail to inflict harm and even death on people, as in the past use of anthrax and mail bombs.

On Wednesday, the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) received two envelopes from an unknown sender abroad addressed to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which authorities have linked to the Indonesia-based militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Philpost inspector Cayetano Escalona said they immediately sent the envelopes — one brown and the other plain white — to the Philippine National Police’s Center for Transnational Crime at Camp Crame for investigation. No results yet have come in from the PNP probe.

According to UPU, mail matters containing bombs have "grease marks, no return address, too many stamps, and restrictive markings like ‘personal’ or ‘confidential’."

"Mail bombs also have wires, tinfoil, pinholes, too much wrapping, have different smell, ticking and hissing sounds," said Rizalino Quiaoit Jr., Philpost chief of staff, quoting UPU advisory.

Quiaoit told The STAR the UPU advisory has come up with printed information that could be used as a quick reference for postal bomb characteristics.

He noted that UPU first issued the advisory on Sept. 20, 2001 or nine days after the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington.

In the guise of a gift or ordinary parcel, Quiaoit noted that a common device employed by terrorists is the use of letter bombs or small packet bombs that explode upon opening by the unfortunate addressee or recipient even if it’s not yet New Year’s Day.

"Even a simple white envelope with a thread-like string, like musical cards, could be a bomb-carrying mail that can maim you and blow you up to death, including people who are within a five-meter radius," he added. "So we have to be careful."

Quoting reports from UPU, he stressed that even electronics equipment for use as timing device, controlling and trigger mechanisms for explosives may be transported or delivered via mail.

Love Joy Matias, chief of the Philpost Central Mail Exchange Center, supported Quiaoit’s statement, even as he noted they are now implementing strict security measures, including the use of X-ray machines to monitor and stop the transport of explosive devices and components.

For instance, Matias said Philpost has an agreement with airline companies that when a cellular phone is brought on board, its battery should be removed to ensure that it would not be used as a bomb’s timing device.

"In the past, cellphones have been used as triggering device of bombs. It’s better to be safe than sorry," said Matias, as he appealed to the public for understanding and vigilance.

With 48 days left before Christmas, Matias said Philpost receives an average of 1,000 packages or parcels and one million ordinary letters a day.