The agriculture services of several American states have warned their inhabitants in recent days of packages suspected of containing mystery seeds, presumably shipped from China.
“The types of seeds in the packages are currently unknown and may contain invasive plant species,” the Ohio Department of Agriculture said in a statement Monday.
“If you receive such a package, DO NOT plant these seeds. If they are in a sealed package, do not open the package. ”, advised the department, which asks to forward the shipment to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Ohio Department of Agriculture says “unwanted seeds they can be invasive, contain harmful weeds, introduce diseases into local plants or be dangerous for livestock ”.
Similar directives have been issued by the departments of agriculture of the states of Washington, Louisiana, Virginia and Kansas.
According to local media and photos shared by people on social media, packages were also sent to Utah and Arizona.
Some of them were listed as jewelry and displayed Chinese characters on their labels.
The motivations of these shipments remain unknown.
According to the Ohio Police Department, it could be “blow drying,” an unfair technique used in online commerce that involves improving product evaluations by placing false orders.
“We would prefer people to contact us to dispose of these seeds properly,” recommend state authorities.
The USDA has yet to react to these enigmatic packages. But on its website, the department provides a phone number and address for people “aware of possible trafficking in exotic fruits, vegetables, or meat products prohibited in or in transit to the United States.”
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