US Embassy Reopens After Police Disposal Of Suspicious Packages

British London Police/ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/James Eades

JAKARTA - British police said the suspicious package outside the United States (US) embassy in London that was detonated (disposal) was suspected to be a fake package.

The police previously conducted a disposal near the embassy building, a 12-story glass cube built specifically at Nine Elms, southern London, and closed several areas. The US Embassy then returned to normal operations.

"Initial indications show that the item is a fake device," the London Metropolitan Police said.

"Some barrier lines will remain in place for a while, but most of the police actions will now be stopped," the police added.

The embassy said business activities had returned to normal but all public meeting appointments on Friday were canceled.

"Local authorities are investigating and cleaning suspicious packages outside the embassy," the police continued.

The United States moved its embassy from Mayfair, central London, to Nine Elm in 2018, for safety and security reasons.

The area, which used to be an industrial area, now houses dozens of high-end apartment buildings along the Bathsea Power Plant, an era of the 1930s building known for its red and white bricks, which has been rebuilt as a shopping and tourist center.