Man held over suspicious packages to Pak, other embassies in Australia

SYDNEY: Australian police have arrested a 48-year-old man for allegedly sending dozens of suspicious packages to embassies and consulates, including the Pakistani mission, around the country on Wednesday.

Australian police claimed that the man was arrested at his home in rural Victoria state late Wednesday, hours after several consulates - including Pakistani mission - in Melbourne received the suspicious packages. 

The suspect to be produced in a Melbourne court later Thursday morning to face charges of sending dangerous materials through the post. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, police said.

Police alleged that the man had sent 38 parcels in all to consulates and embassies in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Police have so far recovered 29 of the packages and identified "all intended recipients". They said there was no "ongoing threat to the general public" from the remaining nine.

On Wednesday, emergency services raced to a string of diplomatic facilities in Melbourne which had received packages containing suspected hazardous material.

There was no obvious pattern to countries targeted, with consulates of the United States, China, Italy, India, Japan and New Zealand suffering scares.

There has been no evidence yet that the packages were dangerous, but police Thursday said forensic testing was continuing to determine their exact contents.