Suspicious German letter triggers chemical alert at Polish military base in Nowa Dęba

Suspicious delivery in Nowa Dęba

On Wednesday morning, 30 September 2026, at approximately 10:00, a postal carrier delivered an envelope addressed from the Federal Republic of Germany to the Military Gendarmerie post in Nowa Dęba in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. A civilian staff member accepted the piece of mail and transferred it to the deputy head of the post. The officer opened the correspondence in an office where seven people were present according to television reports. Forensic investigators determined that the package contained neither liquids nor loose powdered substances. The envelope contained solely a single postcard bearing the handwritten Polish phrase "Pozdrawiam Złota", which translates to "Regards Złota".

Medical symptoms and emergency response

Shortly after unsealing the envelope, the deputy commander developed acute shortness of breath and required urgent hospitalisation. Two other people inside the room, a fellow military gendarme and a civilian employee, developed throat irritation alongside skin irritation across their faces and hands. Three ambulances arrived at the military post as military police and civilian police cordoned off the perimeter. Paramedics transported all three patients to Szpital Powiatowy in Nowa Dęba, where hospital staff temporarily blocked the entrance to the emergency admissions ward to prevent any potential contamination. Firefighters from the Specialized Chemical and Ecological Rescue Group of the State Fire Service in Leżajsk arrived to secure samples for laboratory testing, while emergency services evacuated 133 residents from an adjacent building stairwell.

“Inspection of the package ruled out the presence of chemical, biological, and radiological agents.”

Medical personnel examined all three affected individuals and discharged them from the hospital later that day after diagnostic evaluations confirmed no evidence of chemical or biological poisoning.

Forensic and prosecutorial investigation

The District Prosecutor's Office in Lublin assumed control of the criminal inquiry, operating under statutory provisions regarding the direct endangerment of human life or causing severe health impairment. The investigation proceeds in collaboration with the Military Department of the District Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów and the local Military Gendarmerie County Command. Authorities notified both the Internal Security Agency and the Military Counterintelligence Service regarding the potential security breach. Forensic specialists sent the secured postcard and mailing materials for dactyloscopic fingerprint analysis, biological sampling, and genetic profiling to determine the identity of the sender in Germany.

“We will check whether the symptoms reported by the military employees actually have any connection, or whether this is only a coincidence of events and the source of the shortness of breath and throat irritation was something else.”

Public sentiment on state security

The security scare in Nowa Dęba follows elevated concern in Poland regarding sabotage, airspace violations, and foreign hybrid actions. Public perception of state readiness was evaluated in a nationwide poll conducted by United Surveys for Wirtualna Polska between 18 and 20 September 2026 across a representative sample of 1,000 Polish adults using mixed online and telephone surveying (CAWI and CATI). The survey, which carried a 3% margin of error, revealed that 51.3% of respondents view Poland as unprepared for hostile provocations, comprising 27.1% who responded "rather not" and 24.2% who answered "definitely not". Conversely, 38.5% judged national preparedness positively, with 31.4% answering "rather yes" and 7.1% selecting "definitely yes", while 10.2% expressed no opinion.

Rather not prepared27.1%

Definitely not prepared24.2%

Rather prepared31.4%

Definitely prepared7.1%

No opinion10.2%

Rather not prepared

27.1 %

Definitely not prepared

24.2 %

Rather prepared

31.4 %

Definitely prepared

7.1 %

No opinion

10.2 %

Data from the article text