VIC: Suspicious parcel found in Melbourne tax office

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-1998
VIC: Suspicious parcel found in Melbourne tax office

MELBOURNE, Dec 3 AAP - Explosive experts were being rushed to a taxation office in
Melbournes Collins Street after the discovery late this morning of a suspicious package.

Police had evacuated the building and it was believed Special Operations Group and
explosive experts were being brought to the scene.

The suspect parcel was found in the building located at 55 Collins Street which houses an
office of the Australian Taxation Office shortly after 11.30am (AEDT), police said.

Yesterday, a nationwide alert was issued after 21 parcels bombs were found at the Canberra
mail exchange where one had exploded soon after midnight, slightly injuring two postal
workers.

The previous day a letter bomb had been delivered to a private Sydney address but it was
defused by the police bomb squad when the person became suspicious.

Another two parcel bombs were delivered to homes in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday.

Most of the potentially deadly parcels had been addressed to former or current Australian
Taxation Office staff, but some members of the human rights commission also had been
targeted.

One was reportedly sent to the Sydney home of federal privacy commissioner Moira Scollay
and another to the Melbourne home of former federal sex discrimination commissioner Sue
Walpole.

AAP bdl/jlw/bwl

KEYWORD: BOMB EVACUATE LEAD

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