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Investigation Launched After White Substance Sent To Barack Obama's Office

Investigation Launched After White Substance Sent To Barack Obama's Office

The former US President allegedly received a package containing 'white powder' at his Washington office. An investigation is ongoing.

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden

An investigation has been launched after former US President Barack Obama was allegedly sent 'a white substance' in the post.

The substance, said to be a powder, was directly sent to Obama's office in Washington DC, according to reports from US journalists.

This comes just a day after Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Vanessa Trump was sent to hospital after a letter containing a similar 'suspicious substance' was sent to her apartment in New York.

Vanessa, the wife of Donald's son Donald Trump Jr, opened the letter addressed to her husband and was rushed to hospital as a precautionary measure.

Trump Jr, who oversees his father's assets while Trump Sr. is President, later tweeted that his wife and children were 'safe and harmed', calling the situation 'incredibly scary'.

"Thankful that Vanessa & my children are safe and unharmed after the incredibly scary situation that occurred this morning," Trump Jr. said in his tweet.

"Truly disgusting that certain individuals choose to express their opposing views with such disturbing behavior."

This is not even the only instance today of terrorists or pranksters seeking to scare or threaten political figures by sending them white powder through the mail.

Just this morning a security alert was sparked after a package of white powder was reportedly sent to the UK's Home Secretary Amber Rudd's office.

The alert resulted in counter-terror police being called to the Houses of Parliament, with a 'heavy' presence of officers still reported on one corridor early this afternoon.

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The act of threatening public figures with white powder through the mail became commonplace after concentrated spores of the deadly bacteria anthrax were used in acts of bioterrorism in the US in the early 2000s.

In 2001 22 people were infected and five people died after letters containing the spores were sent to several news media offices and two Democratic senators: Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

In 2008 the US Department of Justice announced that it believed Dr. Bruce Ivins, a senior biodefense researcher for the US government, was responsible for the attacks. Dr Ivins died in an apparent suicide days after he learnt he was set to be charged for the crimes.

The US Postal Service's main distribution centres are now equipped with biohazard detection systems to detect anthrax in any packages sent through the mail.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Politics