Nanaimo RCMP detachment was closed and evacuated while a suspicious package was investigated overnight. Police say the package was removed and will be disposed of. Photo submitted.
The Nanaimo RCMP detachment was evacuated Tuesday night and closed for nearly 10 hours while a suspicious package was being looked into.
Cst. Gary O’Brien says officers returned to the detachment around 10 p.m. from an investigation at an undisclosed location in the city with a package that did not seem to be a threat at first.
Upon further review of what was inside, O’Brien said authorities realized the contents of the package could be “very explosive”.
Video submitted
The building was evacuated around 10:30 p.m. and morning staff were told not to come in while the investigation took place.
The RCMP’s Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) took a morning ferry to Nanaimo from Vancouver and has removed the package.
O’Brien says the package will be blown up in a remote rural location Wednesday.
The detachment reopened around 9 a.m. Wednesday and O’Brien said a contingency plan was in place overnight to allow police services to continue uninterrupted during the evacuation.
The investigation continues.
Andy Neal
