McDonald's Stores in Sydney Receive White Powder

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 16, 2002

McDonald's Stores in Sydney Receive White Powder

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US fast-food chain McDonald's temporarily shut two stores in Sydney on Tuesday after a number of its outlets in Australia's largest city received suspicious envelopes containing white powder, police said.

A police statement said the substance had been taken to police forensic laboratories for examination.

McDonald's Australia said only some of the suspicious envelopes sent to its stores contained the unidentified substance but restaurant managers across the country had been told not to open any mail until further notice.

Anthrax hoaxes and scares have cropped up across the globe since several letters contaminated with spores of the deadly organism were discovered in the United States in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

A British citizen was recently charged in Australia for a prank in which he sent a neighbour washing powder in a letter.

Tests Find No Anthrax in McDonald's Letters

It has been revealed that no dangerous substances have been detected in suspicious envelopes sent to McDonald's food outlets in Sydney, ABC reports Wednesday.

More than 30 envelopes were sent to McDonald's and police were told a white powder was inside some of them.

But preliminary forensic tests have revealed no traces of any powder nor has any demand been made against the company.

Detective Superintendent Bob Inkster says the envelopes may have been sent to instill fear at the outlets.

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