B767 CREW FOUND AN UNIDENTED PACKAGE IN THE ACFT LAVATORY. IT WAS TREATED AS A BOMB SCARE.

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DURING CRUISE; FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED OF UNIDENTED PACKAGE IN FORWARD LAVATORY. IT COULD NOT BE IDENTED AS TO PURPOSE; AND NO FLT ATTENDANT OR PAX CLAIMED KNOWLEDGE OF IT. AFTER COORD WITH DISPATCH; PURPOSE OF ARTICLE NOT IDENTED. FLT ATTENDANT CREW WAS NERVOUS AND CONCERNED; AND WANTED TO HANDLE IT AS POSSIBLE HAZARDOUS. WITH DISPATCH COORD; DECISION TO GO TO DEN AND PREPARE ITEM AS BOMB IN 3R DOORWAY. EMER DECLARED. FLT MANUAL PROCS WERE FOLLOWED; ITEM PACKED AT 3R BY FLT ATTENDANT; PAX WERE BRIEFED; CABIN PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE EVAC ACCOMPLISHED. DURING APCH TO DEN; ATC ADVISED THAT COMPANY CANCELED NEED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING. DEN TWR UNAWARE OF EMER; SO WE REISSUED THE EMER. ENRTE; WE WERE ADVISED BY ACARS THAT GATE XC WOULD BE USED (WE HAD PLANNED HARDSTAND OR REMOTE TXWY UNTIL ITEM COULD BE IDENTED). WITH DISPATCH AND FLT ATTENDANT CONCURRENCE; WE WERE NOT GOING TO EVAC UNLESS NECESSARY. WE ASSUMED THAT GATE XC SELECTED BY COMPANY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MOST EXPEDIENT AND SAFETY WOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED. WHEN WE LANDED; THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT OUR SIT AND REQUIREMENTS BY GND/SUPPORT PERSONNEL AT DEN. APCH/LNDG NORMAL; BUT CONFUSION REIGNED ON GND AS TO WHAT PROCS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF PREPARATION AND BOMB PACKING. I AM CONFUSED AS TO WHY EMER WAS CANCELED THROUGH DEN ATC DURING APCH. WHAT HAPPENED TO DEN GND COORD? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 517330: SUSPECT ITEM FOUND IN FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT; NO ONE COULD IDENT THE BAG. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO DEN. DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC. WE COORD WITH DISPATCH TO GO TO A REMOTE PARKING SPOT TO HAVE BAG/PLANE INSPECTED. ON FINAL; WE WERE ACARS'ED TO PROCEED TO GATE XC. SEEMED ODD; BUT WE FIGURED THE COMPANY HAD IDENTED THE BAG. DEN WAS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE A BOMB ON BOARD. SOMEHOW THE COM WAS POOR BTWN THE DISPATCHER AND STATION. WE WENT TO THE GATE AND THE POLICE AND DOGS INSPECTED THE BAG AND FOUND IT TO BE FULL OF SAND! PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWAY AT A REMOTE SPOT -- JUST IN CASE.