TWO MORE FALL ILL DRINKING COFFEE MIX
Garbage truck driver says colleague found coffee mix packets in garbage bin
TWO more people were hospitalised yesterday after drinking instant coffee. Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Anuar Omar said one of the victims, Mat Dat, a garbage truck driver, told police that he got a packet of the coffee mix from a Bangladeshi colleague on Thursday.
“Within 10 minutes of consuming the drink on Saturday, he started having severe headache and vomiting.”
Anuar said the victim told him that his Bangladeshi colleague had found two packets of the coffee mix inside a garbage bin, one of which he kept for himself.
“I contacted their superior and asked that he retrieve the other packet from the Bangladeshi.”
Seven people, including the latest victims, have been hospitalised after drinking instant coffee.
In the earlier incident, five people, including two Nepalese men, fell ill after consuming instant durian-flavoured coffee, believed to contain a drug.
A food technology officer at the Penang Food Safety and Quality Laboratory confirmed that the mixture contained a green foreign substance.
Tests showed that the packets had been opened and resealed as there were tear marks.
“The resealed packets are heavier than the original by 10g each.”
Police have opened an investigation under Section 272 of the Penal Code for adulteration of food or drink intended for sale.
Anyone found guilty could be jailed up to six months or fined up to RM2,000, or both.