BERLIN, Might 25 (Reuters) – German Economy Minister Robert Habeck’s constituency workplace stated on Thursday it had received an envelope containing a white substance, prompting a significant-scale police operation.

Soon after a preliminary examination police think the substance was merely finely-ground sand, a spokesperson stated, pending a complete investigation of the incident.

Staff of Habeck’s workplace in Flensburg, close to the northern border with Denmark, brought the envelope on Wednesday afternoon to police who subsequently alerted the fire brigade, a police statement stated late that day.

The police operation lasted two hours and the substance was removed from the developing by the fire brigade in a container.

Habeck, whose ministry is accountable for power as effectively as the economy, and who also serves as deputy chancellor of Germany, has been the face of higher-profile policies searching for to mitigate the financial fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

His ranking in opinion polls has fallen in current weeks following a nepotism scandal in his ministry and criticism of his push to phase out older residence-heating systems.

Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Linda Pasquini

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