A fake grenade forced an evacuation and a police cordon at a Dunedin wharf yesterday.
The grenade-shaped object, spotted by Customs officials in a container at Leith Wharf in Fryatt St, sparked the evacuation of workers.
Entry to the site was blocked for about an hour until the object was found to be harmless.
Acting Sergeant Jo Ammundsen, of Dunedin, said the device turned out to be a replica plastic grenade container filled with BB gun pellets.
"They [Customs workers] just glanced in and thought ... it was quite realistic looking,'' Acting Sgt Ammundsen said.
"The whole site was evacuated.
"We treat everything as live until we know about it.''
The defence force was not needed to establish whether the grenade was real, Acting Sgt Ammundsen said.
The importer of the container was from South Africa.
No charges would be laid.
