The envelopes with suspicious powder that were found at the Palais de Justice, the offices of Belgian State Security and the offices of the Federal Justice Minister in Brussels on Thursday contained toxic substances, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Friday.
At around 09:40 on Thursday, the Brussels Fire Brigade and several police officers were called to the offices of Belgian security services on Boulevard Albert II in the region's Northern Quarter where an envelope with white powder was in a room with three people in it.
"Those involved were decontaminated and were given a change of clothes," fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said at the time. "After examination by the mobile emergency and resuscitation service (SMUR) doctor, no evacuation to the hospital was necessary."
Civil Protection has taken charge of the envelope to analyse the powder. "Our team specialising in hazardous substances (HAZMAT) was also mobilised," Derieuw added. The fire brigade was then called out to the Palais de Justice on Place Poelaert, where another such envelope was found. "The incident here was also limited to one isolated room."
Brucine
On Friday afternoon, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office announced in a press release that analysis showed that the white powder found in the letters contains the toxic substance brucine.
"This substance is dangerous only when a person actually ingests it; contact with the skin poses no danger," said spokesperson Yasmina Vanoverschelde, underlining that the people who came into contact with the toxic substance "are currently in good health."
The investigation is ongoing to find out who the senders of the letters are and what their motive is. "However, we can announce that the first results of the investigation have shown that these facts have nothing to do with the shooting incidents in Brussels in recent days."
Update: This article was updated on Friday at 18:15 following the press release by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
