You have likely heard the news reports about the suspicious package that was dropped off on December 1, 2017, at a Potsdam pharmacy located directly adjacent to Potsdam's Christmas market. Authorities now believe that this was a blackmail attempt targeting our company. The police have already assigned a special commission to investigate the case and we are cooperating fully, providing whatever information is necessary to resolve the issue quickly.

The police have emphasized that packages can only pose a threat if actively opened. We therefore recommend that customers accept packages only from senders that they know or recognize, or packages with items that they themselves have ordered. At this time, investigative authorities have not indicated an elevated threat level in connection with posted packages, but do believe it is possible that the perpetrators could send more explosive devices.

Signs of a suspicious package:

• Missing or incomplete sender address/information
  
• Conspicuous spelling errors
  
• Smudges, stains or other discoloration of the parcel
  
• Protruding wires or other unusual features
  

Usage of the illustration by kind permission of Brandenburg police.

Recommended way to handle suspicious packages:

• Keep calm
• Do NOT open, touch, pat, shake, bend, or fold
• Avoid extreme cold or heat
• Notify the police
  

We want to emphasize that DHL packages are just as safe as packages sent with other large parcel providers. We transport more than four million parcels a day on average, and more than seven million parcels on some days during the holiday season. Strict postal privacy laws continue to apply, which forbid us from inspecting the contents of any packages or mail items posted for shipment with Deutsche Post or DHL.