Suspicious package found at North Railway station in Kochi

PTI, Oct 23, 2022, 8:36 AM IST

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Kochi: A suspicious package found in the North Railway station here sent railways officials and the local police into a tizzy for nearly 2.5 hours on Saturday before it was determined to be a false alarm.

The wrapped up ‘package’ resembling a lunch box was first noticed by a sweeper working at the railway station who promptly informed authorities, police said.

“The parcel appeared to have been placed at a blind spot of a CCTV raising further concern. A bomb squad of the Kerala Police and sniffer dogs were deployed at the spot to assess the threat,” police told PTI.

However, even after multiple inspections, the officials were unable to detect anything that may be of consequence.

The squad eventually transferred the package to a deserted spot and ‘defused’ it using a low-grade IED.

“It is a leftover concrete piece used in construction work. Footage from another CCTV indicated that a group of migrant labourers disposed of it because of its weight. We suspect that it may have been taken along to be used as a makeshift pillow of sorts,” police said.