Police: FedEx packages found in woods at second Alabama site

This April 1, 2020 file photo shows a FedEx logo at a facility in Romulus, Mich. Nearly two dozen FedEx packages have been found dumped in woods along a rural road in an Alabama town about 75 miles from a ravine where hundreds of undelivered FedEx parcels previously were discovered, police said Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, file)

JEMISON, Ala. (AP) — Nearly two dozen FedEx packages have been found dumped in woods along a rural road in an Alabama town about 75 miles from a ravine where hundreds of undelivered FedEx parcels previously were discovered, police said Wednesday.

Police in the town of Jemison said in a statement on social media that about 20 packages destined for locations on nine different roads were discovered.

“We are in the process of contacting officials with Fed Ex so that they can investigate this situation and contact their customers,” police said.

It wasn't clear how long the items had been on the roadside or whether there was any link to an earlier discovery in Blount County near Hayden, where Sheriff Mark Moon said a FedEx Ground driver dumped packages into a ravine in the woods at least six times.

Moon said Tuesday that there are about 450 victims after hundreds of packages were discovered dumped last month.

“This will not be an easy or fast case to close," Moon said. “Again I am asking for patience from our citizens as our investigators work through this case."

The driver, whose name hasn't been released, has been identified and questioned, Moon said.

Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx said in a statement that the person involved was no longer providing service for FedEx Ground and added it was cooperating with law enforcement on its investigation.

“The security of our customers’ shipments is a top priority and we are committed to treating our customers’ packages with the utmost care,″ FedEx said, adding that it would deliver recovered packages wherever possible and seek resolution for any damaged shipments.

The ravine is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Birmingham. The discovery was made on private property near the small town of Hayden, Moon said.

Following the discovery, deputies guarded the site, and FedEx sent multiple trucks and drivers from across the South to take away the packages, according to the sheriff.