Saskatoon police investigators are diligently working to find out more about the person or persons responsible for two recent suspicious package scares.
While both turned out to be nothing more than a mere hoax, the charges someone could face are no laughing matter.
READ MORE: Suspicious package delivered in downtown Saskatoon declared not dangerous
In November, police charged a Saskatoon woman with 15 different offences related to a suspicious package incident that shut down many parts of the downtown core.
Now in matter of one week, emergency responders have rushed to two different scenes after reports of a suspicious package.
On Thursday, March 16, emergency services including the hazmat team responded to the River Centre Building downtown after a delivery was made to the fifth floor.
This past Thursday, Buena Vista School became the latest target of a mysterious package, this one sent by registered mail to the main office of the institution.
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READ MORE: Buena Vista School evacuated after suspicious package found
Both incidents required massive evacuation and the packages contained substances that weren’t dangerous to the public.
“We take these incidents very, very seriously and we treat it as a worst case scenario until we can actually confirm the substances that we’re actually dealing with,” Wayne Rodger, assistant fire chief of communications, said.
Several emergency resources responded to each call and officials say no threat is ever dismissed since it only takes a single incident for them to have a crisis on their hands.
Investigators are now vigorously working to find out where these latest packages were sent from, who sent them and a motive.
They will rely in part on tracking methods by couriers and Canada Post to solve these cases.
“It does make it easier when it is done through a proper organization rather than a random person acting as a courier,” Staff Sgt. Darcy Shukin, with the targeted enforcement of the Saskatoon Police Service, said.
WATCH MORE: Woman charged in suspicious packages incident pleads not guilty
Prank or not, police aren’t messing around. As seen in November they could pursue charges once suspects are found.
“The basic charges will include anything from a public mischief charge to a mischief charge to an uttering threats charge because whether or not the threats are real, if a person believes them to be real, we can still lay that charge,” Shukin said.
A hoax that appears to be an act of terrorism at the time could lead to a punishment of 14 years in prison.
If contents are deemed hazardous to the public, there are a number of charges that can be laid against an individual.
“Depending on the threat, the substance that was used will determine the type of charge that would be laid accordingly.”
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