'I was extremely nervous': Woman calls police after receiving overseas package containing 20g of white powder

[UPDATE April 8] Responding to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF said they were alerted to the incident along Lorong K Telok Kurau.

SCDF officers equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) retrieved a package found at a residential unit.

"The package was placed within a sealed container by SCDF's hazmat specialists, SCDF said. "Several tests were conducted on the contents of the package and no harmful substances were detected."

SCDF added that the package was handed over to the police.

The police said that the substances were sent for laboratory analysis, which preliminary findings revealed they did not constrain any security sensitive materials.

The police added that no injuries were reported.

A frightened woman called the cops after a suspicious package was sent to her East Coast apartment on Tuesday (April 2) evening.

Winnie, who declined to give her full name, told AsiaOne that the express delivery from China contained 20 grams of "white powder".

"When I opened the package, it had no labels to explain what it was," the 21-year-old student from China said. "I was very afraid and called the police immediately.

"I was in an extremely nervous and overwhelmed state since I thought it might be drugs."

In a post shared on Xiaohongshu, Winnie said that 12 police officers and four Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel arrived at her doorstep soon after.

Speaking to AsiaOne, the woman said that the police officers took away the package after enquiring about her online shopping history.

"I later contacted the courier and they told me that the package was mistakenly sent to me," she said, adding that the logistics company informed her that the "white powder" was indole - an ingredient used in cosmetic products.

While Winne was disappointed she was not offered an explanation for the delivery, she praised the police for handling the matter.

"I feel they were responsible, fast, and a lot of them were there," she said. "It showed that they were professional and took the case seriously."

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chingshijie@asiaone.com