Angela Merkel’s Office Cordoned Off Due To Suspicious Package At German Federal Chancellery

UPDATE: 5:14 a.m. EST — Police officials gave an all-clear at the German Federal Chancellery, the office of Chancellor Angela Merkel, in central Berlin after determining that the suspicious package found Wednesday was not a threat. Police had cordoned off the area even as ministers were gathered for a cabinet meeting at the building, which took place as planned.

"The experts found nothing suspicious," a spokesman for Germany's Federal Police said, according to Reuters.

Original story:

The offices of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the German Federal Chancellery in downtown Berlin were sealed off Wednesday after a suspicious package was found there, Reuters reported. It was not immediately clear if Merkel was in the office at the time.

The building and the area were cordoned off. According to a report by the Daily Mail, which cited pictures from the scene, four yellow postal crates were seen at the entrance of the chancellery.

Thorsten Peters, a spokesman for federal police confirmed, according to the Daily Mail, that the officials were “investigating a suspicious package” that was found during a routine security check.

The building, which houses Merkel's office, is one of the largest government headquarters in the world. The chancellor reportedly lives in a private apartment in another location.

The Reuters report added that ministers at the building carried on with their work as usual after the area was cordoned off while waiting for specialists to inspect the package.

In 2010, a package containing explosives from Greece was sent to Merkel and was intercepted by police. The latest scare follows reports over the last few days that police officials have been tipped off about plans by militants from the Islamic State group to attack Munich.