TERRORISTS?THREATS INTERNATIONALLY are having a negative impact on some aspects of the local postal service’s operations.
The Barbados Postal Service (BPS) says it’s experiencing “considerable difficulty” tracking abroad registered letters and packages earmarked for Europe and the United States.
Postmaster General Joel Brathwaite indicated that these destinations had stopped releasing information on the arrival and departure of mail.
In the past, BPS could simply use a special tracking system to find out where the mail was, but those days are over.
Brathwaite, in a brief statement, linked this development to reports of terrorists using mail in an effort to carry out attacks.
“Security concerns are the main issue,” Brathwaite pointed out.
About two weeks ago President Barack Obama declared that authorities had uncovered a “credible terrorist threat” against the United States after the discovery of explosives in at least two United
States-bound Packages aboard cargo jets.
Discovery of the packages, addressed to Jewish organisations in Chicago, triggered a worldwide alert amid fears that al-Qaeda was attempting to carry out terrorist attacks.
Brathwaite also reminded Barbadians that sending items in bottles to the United States through the mail was “strictly prohibited”.
Postal officials say Barbadians often seek to send bottled pepper sauce, mauby, jams, jellies and other products to relatives and friends in the United States. (TY)