Police hunt for blackmailer who poisoned supermarket baby food
POLICE in southern Germany are urgently hunting for a man suspected of poisoning jars of baby food in an attempt to extort millions of euros from supermarkets and pharmacies.
Five jars of baby food were found contaminated with ethylene glycol, a sweet-smelling chemical that can be lethal to adults as well as babies.
The unnamed suspect, believed to be in his 50s, sent an email to several supermarket and pharmacy chains in the city of Friedrichshafen threatening to poison more than 20 different foodstuffs unless he was paid a ransom of at least €10million (£8.8million).
The email said he had already poisoned five jars of baby food as proof the threat was serious.
Police raced to remove all baby food from shops across the city and tracked down all five contaminated jars before they could be sold.
“This is an exceptionally severe case of extortion and we have to assume we dealing with a very ruthless extortionist who is prepared to kill,” Uwe Stürmer, the local police chief, said.
The suspect had threatened further poisonings and not only baby food was at risk, he warned.
Police have identified someone they believe is the suspect from supermarket CCTV footage, which shows a man in a beanie hat, leather jacket and glasses wandering the supermarket aisles with an empty shopping basket.
Police said they believe he may have been wearing the glasses as a disguise.
Ethylene glycol is one of the most common ingredients of antifreeze. It is a clear liquid with a sweet odour. While relatively small doses can be fatal for adults, ethylene glycol poisoning can be successfully treated if prompt medical action is taken.
A government expert said the chemical had been mixed with the baby food in the contaminated jars and warned people to be on the lookout for food containers that appear to have been tampered with.
Prosecutors refused to name the supermarket chains targeted in the suspect’s email, which also stated he had not ruled out turning his attention to shops in neighbouring countries.
Friedrichshafen lies on the shores of Lake Constance, close to the borders of Switzerland and Austria.
“He even announced that he wants to meet with the national and international offices of German food stores and pharmacies,” Alexander Boger, chief prosecutor for the city, said. “We are taking the threat very seriously.”