A suspicious package that shut down an entrance to Coquitlam Centre mall late Tuesday afternoon turned out to be simply a forgotten briefcase.
A passerby noticed the unattended briefcase outside the northeast entrance of the mall, next to H&M, at about 4:15 p.m. and notified mall staff, who then contacted Coquitlam RCMP.
"We don't often find unattended briefcases laying outside a public facility such as the mall, so it is suspicious in that case," said Const. Jamie Phillipson. "The area was cordoned off and the entrance to the mall was restricted to public access, and we called our explosive unit to come out and assist us."
The bomb squad confirmed there was no risk to the public, Phillipson said, adding "99% of the time. it's just a briefcase but officers are trained to not get complacent, regardless of how small the chance is, especially when it has to do with public safety."
Police contacted the owner of the briefcase who was "extremely pleased" to be reunited with his forgotten luggage and apologized for the inconvenience it had caused.
The mall closed at 6 p.m. and the police declared the issue safely resolved at about 7 p.m.
