Australian police arrest man for sending suspicious parcels to foreign consulates in 3 cities

A 49-year-old man has been arrested by Australian police for allegedly sending dozens of suspicious packages reportedly containing asbestos powder to diplomatic missions across the country, including the Indian consulate here.

Savas Avan was arrested at his home in Shepparton on Wednesday night, hours after over 10 consulates in Melbourne and Sydney and embassies in Canberra were forced into lockdown due to suspicious packages.

Authorities are yet to confirm what was in the parcels, but early reports suggested they appeared to contain asbestos.

The white powder was mailed through Australia Post and is suspected to have been sourced from Avan's home.

Only 29 of the 38 packages have been discovered so far, but police said they have put processes in place to recover the outstanding parcels safely.

The Australian Federal Police and Victoria police said the man was charged with sending dangerous articles to be carried by a postal service, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years jail.

He was remanded in custody following a Melbourne Magistrates' Court hearing Thursday, media reports said.

A prosecutor told court the deliveries contained asbestos, and Avan did not apply for bail.

"Police have so far recovered 29 of these packages, with forensic testing to be undertaken on them to determine the exact composition of the material in them," the federal and state police said in a joint statement.

"Police have identified all intended recipients and have put processes in place to recover the outstanding packages. There is no ongoing threat to the general public."