The mystery of unexpected packets of seeds being sent from China to people across the UK and USA appears to have been solved.
Last year thousands of people in the USA and UK reported receiving little grey packages in the post.
The packages were covered in Chinese writing – and stated they contained jewellery.
But when opened they actually contained seeds – often unlabelled – leaving people baffled.
All 50 US states sent out a warning not to plant the seeds amid fears they could be harmful and the FBI launched a joint investigation with authorities in China.
More than dozen plant species were identified among the seeds sent to UK and US addresses.
Osama El-Lissy, a member of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in August: “We have identified 14 different species of seeds, including mustard, cabbage, morning glory and some herbs, like mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, and then other seeds like hibiscus and roses”.
At least 100 households in England also received the packets, which usually had Chinese writing on them and were often labeled as containing jewelry.
The label would allow the packages to pass unchecked through border searches.
As well as fearing it could be some kind of biological attack – there were also fears it could be a scam.
Some online retailers use a technique called brushing, which involves creating fake sales and then sending items – usually something…
