More than 7,900 suspicious parcels reported to police in 2023

Quadient today released data showing that the UK is reporting more than 20 suspicious packages a day to police – many of which contain hazardous items. As this worrying trend persists, Quadient warns that businesses need to take action to prevent harm befalling their employees.

A series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to police forces and government bodies found there were 7,983 suspicious parcels reported in 2023, with 3,230 (40%) containing hazardous, dangerous, or illegal items. Quadient’s research also revealed that 37% of all government bodies did not report all suspicious packages received – suggesting the true scale of the issue is even higher.

Anthony Coo, Product Head at Quadient, said “We are almost certainly only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Organisations don’t report all suspicious post to the police: if a package doesn’t look suspect, turns out to not be harmful, or if the organisation or individual thinks they can “shrug off” the contents, then why report it? However, there is still the risk of harm: whether to a targeted individual, a victim of an indiscriminate sender, or someone who just happens to handle a parcel. This is especially true for businesses – both in terms of the disruption such a parcel can cause, and the obvious risk to employees. An unexpecting receptionist, post room worker, or colleague handing over a package could easily fall victim, especially as we’ve seen that many of these packages are only designed to harm the person opening them.”

Those sending suspicious parcels seem indiscriminate in their targets. Reports were evenly split between business (36%), private (33%), and “other” locations (31%), ranging from public land to park benches. While it would be impossible to address suspicious parcels delivered to other, random spaces, it should be possible to reduce the risk by ensuring businesses and other workplaces can detect and investigate potentially harmful deliveries.

Similarly, there was little variation in when parcels were reported, with nationwide reports spread evenly across the year. While this means no times are more dangerous than others, it also means that organisations cannot prepare for seasonal peaks, so must be vigilant year-round.

Finally, the FoI showed very real examples of harmful packages. For instance, in 2023 one local council reported receiving a package with a Stanley blade – sent with the intention of injuring the recipient.

“The delivery of hazardous, dangerous, and otherwise harmful substances to addresses poses a threat to the safety of everyone there: whether a family at home, or colleagues in an office,” continued Coo. “In the case of businesses, employers have a duty of care to protect their employees from potentially harmful packages. As a result, making sure there are processes in place to identify, report, and quarantine potentially hazardous deliveries, such as security scanners, is a must. Beyond this, society as a whole should make sure it is reporting hazardous or threatening communications, and not just brushing off those that seem less egregious. Understanding the issue is the only way we can begin responding to it.”