COPS are calling for clues after letters making false claims about COVID-19 were distributed in Garran and Watson this month.
A letter was distributed to residences in Garran on Friday, July 17, and a similar letter was dropped in letterboxes along streets including Bettie McNee Street in Watson on Tuesday, July 21.
The commander of ACT Policing’s COVID-19 Taskforce, detective superintendent Jason Kennedy, is calling for any witnesses who may have seen someone in these areas distributing these letters.
“We urge residents in the Garran and Watson areas to check their CCTV or dash-cam footage for any video that may assist with this investigation,” he says.
At this time ACT Policing is aware of these letters being distributed in two suburbs, however, detective superintendent Kennedy is asking anyone who has received one anywhere in the ACT to let police know.
When the letters were first distributed to mailboxes in Garran earlier this month, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith condemned the outrageous spread of coronavirus misinformation.
“It’s really unfortunate that there was this dangerous misinformation distributed in Garran this week,” she said at the time.
“It’s absolutely clear that this is conspiracy theory and I think most Canberrans would know much better than to believe this misinformation.”
Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website quoting reference number 6578529.
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