The State Postal Authority is warning that terrorists may use mail services to deliver lethal biochemicals.

Beijing police have detained 11 suspects involved in the illegal sales and mailing of botox bacteria.

Botox - more commonly known for its use as a cosmetic treatment - is a highly poisonous neurotoxin. Botox A can be mixed with powders, liquids, food or medicine and delivered to people by mail. Recipients could die of respiratory failure, the official warning said.

More than 55,000 bottles of a Botox A powder preparation have been seized by police.

Police in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region also investigated a case where explosives were concealed in ziran, a traditional Xinjiang seasoning. The package was found on July 9 in a taxi along with a letter instructing people to use the ziran in attacks on Olympic areas.

The State Postal Authority has ordered all local post offices to carefully check mail and express-delivery items - especially any involving powders or liquids - and not to accept doubtful items.

Postal and express-delivery centers, especially those handling items from abroad, should coordinate security inspections with other government departments and all post offices have to check everything they deliver "100 percent," according to the notice.

The Shanghai Postal Bureau said yesterday that from now on, any letters and packages to be mailed to cities hosting Olympic events would have to undergo ID-registration procedures at local post offices to ensure security.

"Anyone wanting express delivery to the six Olympic cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenyang and Qinghuangdao - have to show their ID cards, otherwise express companies can refuse delivery," said Yu Yanping, an official with the Shanghai Postal Administration.

The authority said it had issued an alert to staff in about 150 express companies and thousands of small-scale express services in the city.

"Post and express companies must open all delivery goods, except letters, and fully check them before repacking," Yu said.

If express consignments contained banned goods, the express services must refuse delivery, the notice said.

In a 15-day undercover investigation by the Shanghai Postal Bureau, only 53 percent of express companies opened consignments and checked them.

The post authorities have issued warning notices to offending outlets and urged firms to lift their game.

(Shanghai Daily July 30, 2008)