KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4: A security scare swept Malaysia’s diplomatic community on Tuesday after seven embassies received suspicious packages, shutting the Japanese mission, police and diplomats said.

Tokyo evacuated its embassy staff after receiving a slim package containing an oily liquid and a compact disc, similar to packages found on Tuesday by the Canadian, Italian, German, Singaporean, Philippine and Thai embassies, police said.

Police checked the liquid found in the Japanese embassy package and deemed it harmless, Kuala Lumpur police chief Mustafa Abdullah told Reuters. But he said checks were still to be carried out on those found at the other embassies. “It’s a harmless substance, just normal oil,” he said.

“We have to evacuate the place, it’s a normal procedure. The Thai and German embassies have also received similar packages. My men are heading there. We believe they are from the same source, and containing the same substance. But we have to verify that.” Police said the packages were shipped via express mail from the central Selangor state and the northeastern Kelantan state.—Reuters