“The discovery by postal workers of bullets addressed to Pope Francis shows that Posts are not simply the deliverers of mail, they are an essential frontline when trying to keep the public safe.

Every day, courageous postal workers, who process billions of letter and parcels annually, risk handling bullets, bombs or even deadly drugs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, brave postal workers all over the world continued to keep the mail moving and to benefit societies and economies.

On behalf of the UPU, I congratulate the postal workers who discovered the bullets and called the authorities.”

Background:

According to newspaper reports, on 9 August, police announced that postal workers at a sorting facility in the town of Peschiera, Borromeo, near Milan, had discovered three pistol bullets in a letter addressed to Pope Francis. The authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

The Universal Postal Union is currently holding its Universal Postal Congress in Abidjan, Côte d' Ivoire from 9-27 August. The event brings together the heads of designated postal operators, ministers, regulators, civil society, UN agencies and the media to discuss every aspect of the international postal sector. At the 9th August opening ceremony of the Congress, the UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein observed a minute of silence for the postal workers who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: UPU