A suspicious substance that caused the evacuation of the Shoppers Drug Mart in Coquitlam Friday afternoon turned out to be a crushed up vitamin, says the RCMP.

Forensic Identification Services personnel completed their examination of the material and said on Monday that it was non-hazardous and did not pose any threat to employees or customers.

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"This was a situation where an unhappy customer was not satisfied with a specific brand of vitamins and chose to mail it back to the store," said Coqutilam RCMP Const. Jamie Phillipson. "The vitamin was crushed into powder form along the way, causing a lot of unnecessary panic and anxiety for the community."

He added that customers that are unhappy with their over-the-counter medication or have expired prescription drugs or natural health products should bring them directly to their pharmacist for proper destruction.

Coquitlam Fire and Rescue's hazardous materials team was on the scene at around 2 p.m. last Friday after an employee found the substance and called 911.

Fire Chief Wade Pierlot said the store had been evacuated while the RCMP conducted their investigation and 22 employees had been isolated as a precaution. He added that while some customers were also questioned by police, it was determined that none of them had come into contact with the suspicious substance.

Police said the investigation was ongoing and they are hoping to identify and speak with the person responsible for sending the product to the store.

gmckenna@tricitynews.com

@gmckennaTC