Apple's Silicon Valley Office Vandalized; White Powder Found

(RTTNews) - According to reports, IPhone manufacturer Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters were partially evacuated on Tuesday after an envelope containing an unknown white powder was found inside the office premises.

The suspicious substance was found by first responders, who then asked the employees to vacate the premises, Santa Clara County Fire Department Capt. Justin Stockman told the media. It was not clear what the white substance was, but white powders in envelopes indicate towards anthrax attacks.

In an email sent to employees at its Cupertino, California campus late Tuesday, Apple said that "authorities concluded that there was no presence of hazardous materials" and that operation were back to normal."

Apple was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment.

As per federal law, people who commit hoax terror attacks can get prison time even if the white substance turns out to be baby powder or any other substance. There was a fire alarm and hazmat response just after 12 p.m. at Apple's office, according to a fire department and an incident report secured from the site.

It's unlikely many Apple employees were around when the envelope was discovered, since CEO Tim Cook has pushed back the company's return-to-office deadline many times. Apple employees are all set to come back to office in April onwards.