Army called after ‘hoax’ powder sent to law firm for asylum seekers

27/08/2025

The Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was called in yesterday after a suspicious powder was sent to a solicitor firm that represents asylum seekers.

Staff in the Dublin firm feared a package contained a chemical nerve agent and called gardaí, who have since described the mystery delivery as a hoax.

A video on social media showed Army jeeps and an emergency truck parked next to the office building.

Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene, and erected specialist decontamination equipment, while An Garda Síochána cordoned off the capital’s North Wall Quay area.

The firm is the legal partner for the Irish Refugee Council (IRC). It gives free advice to asylum seekers before their first interview.

MAYO FIRE

The hoax follows an incident last month in which a derelict building was found ablaze a week after it was earmarked for social housing.

Mayo County Council agreed that the property on Foxford Road in Ballina would be refurbished into a complex exclusively for those on the social housing waiting list.

However, rumours on social media claimed the building was to be used as an asylum centre and shortly thereafter, emergency services had to be called after the site had been engulfed in flames.