When New Jersey attorney Robert Popescu received a package labeled “Bonsai” on the steps of his Marlboro home Tuesday, he took a photo and e-mailed it to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
“I did not open the package. I just put it in the fridge, “said Popescu. “Presumably it was those seeds.”
Popescu, who has a practice at Old Bridge, said he had read recent news online about the mystery seeds and wants other residents to know that they might be receiving them, too. “Based on the news articles, I knew what to do,” he said.
The attorney was one of at least three New Jersey residents who sent an email to NJ Advance Media saying they had received the seeds after the story appeared online.
The state department of agriculture is recommending that residents notify them if they receive similar packages.
“Do not sow (the seeds) and if they are in a sealed package, do not open the sealed package,” agriculture officials said in a social media post.
If they have already opened the package, the government wants photos of the seeds.
The state requests that residents email their photos to [email protected]. Photos should also be sent to the United States Department of Agriculture at [email protected].
In a warning, the USDA has said that the seeds, which are sometimes shipped in packaging indicating that the contents are from jewelry, could be harmful to the environment.
“The unsolicited seeds could be invasive (e) introduce disease to local plants or be harmful to livestock,” the USDA said in a statement.
Authorities say the emails are “known as agricultural contraband” and should be reported to the USDA and saved until the federal agency offers further instructions on what to do with the packages and seeds.
“They may be necessary as evidence,” said the USDA statement. New Jersey officials have alerted agricultural and agricultural boards and agencies across the state about the seeds.
Seeds received by mail from China could be harmful to the environment and livestock, authorities said.USDA
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Anthony G. Attrino can be reached in [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
