Bhubaneswar: The state crime branch on Wednesday issued an advisory for public and courier agencies in the wake of a parcel blast incident that killed a groom, along with his grandmother, and left the bride injured on February 23 in Balangir district.

While the police have asked the courier agencies to keep X-ray machines and hand-held metal detectors for scanning the parcels, it has also advised the people not to receive parcels from unknown senders.

The advisory has also asked the couriers or postal agencies to keep valid identity proof of the sender with address and contact number at the time of booking.

The police have asked the couriers agencies to install closed-circuit television cameras on their premises to keep footage of the entry and exit of all the persons visiting the agencies.

If a person bringing the parcel is covered his or her face intentionally by wearing helmet or in any other way, he or she must be asked to remove it. The closed-circuit television footage should be preserved at least for 45 days, stated the advisory.

It further instructed the agencies to verify the address and contact number to ensure that the senders were not able to conceal their identity. "If any parcel appears to be suspicious or any distinct smell emanates from it, it should not be booked for delivery and the concerned police should be alerted," stated the advisory.

"This is a new mode of crime for the country and the state as well. Such parcel emanates unusual smell such as of almonds or machine oil. Generally, such package is heavy and big in size and the distribution of weight may be uneven. Such package is also excessively wrapped. We urge the people not to open such parcel and bring the matter to the notice of the local police station," said additional director-general of police (crime branch) Santosh Kumar Upadhyay.

The advisory also advised people not to receive and open suspicious parcels. "Ascertain the complete credentials and address of the courier, identity of the delivering person and that of the sender," it said.

The advisory also instructed people not to receive parcels with excessive or inadequate postage stamp.

Mobile thieves

Police on Wednesday arrested two mobile snatchers and seized 30 phones from them from Nayapalli in Bhubaneswar. The accused are Sanjay Pradhan and Subrat Pradhan.