A WARNING has been issued to the general public to only buy plants and seeds from trusted UK suppliers following a spate of unsolicited parcels containing seeds arriving in the country – raising concerns surrounding plant health.

Initial reports suggest these parcels are linked to a ‘brushing scam,’ allegedly from China. This is when people receive low value unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales.

However, the possibility that this is part of a malicious biosecurity attack has not been ruled out, with tests being carried out by the authorities on seed samples.

Professor Ian Toth, who heads up Scotland’s Plant Health Centre which offers expertise on tackling plant health challenges for Scotland, said: “This could pose a tremendous risk to Scotland’s plant health if these parcels are managing to avoid customs and could potentially pose a disease threat,” stressed Professor Toth.

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“Whoever is doing this may not realise how harmful their actions are or there is a chance it could be part of a malicious plan to spread disease.”

Some seeds have been in packages suggesting the contents are jewellery and, as a result, they are not declared as seeds and do not pass through vital plant health and customs checks that would normally apply to imported plant material.

The invasive species, Japanese knotweed, was brought in to the UK from East Asia in the 1840s for aesthetic reasons initially and has since become a much loathed weed problem – thriving in the UK’s environment, spreading uncontrollably and with its extensive root system, it is extremely difficult to eradicate.

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“These recent reports have come at a time where we are already assessing large scale plant biosecurity risks to Scotland from non-specialist and online horticultural scale,” Professor Toth told the SF. “In other words, if you go online and buy seeds, you could be getting them from anywhere in the world, as it can be difficult to regulate.

“We are looking in to how this buying and selling behaviour is governed but we believe it isn’t to any great extent. If anything positive comes out of these recent events, it is to have raised awareness of the issue of buying blindly online which could pose just as much of a threat as these unsolicited parcels.”

UK authorities are busy investigating these packages, with reports of similar items being delivered to other countries worldwide: “Plants and seeds should always be sourced responsibly from known suppliers and anyone who has received seeds which they have not ordered should report the matter to the Scottish Government’s SASA division,” urged chief plant health officer for Scotland, Gerry Saddler.

“It is important not to open these packages and that these seeds are not planted or composted as it is possible they could be carrying plant pests or diseases that are a harmful risk to our plant life and the environment.”

If you live in Scotland and have received seeds by post that you didn’t order email details to: info@sasa.gov.scot info@sasa.gov.scot