Money allegedly behind NZ poison threats
By Paul Purcell and Tamara McLean
October 13, 2015, 3:54 pm
A businessman's threat to poison infant formula with 1080 if the pesticide was not banned was motivated by financial gain, the charge sheet states.
The man, 60, appeared in Manukau District Court on Tuesday, where he and the companies he was associated with were granted name suppression until April 2016.
The businessman did not enter a plea to two charges of criminal blackmail and was released on bail until his next appearance on October 28.
The charge sheet says the threats were made to make a financial gain.
The man was arrested on Tuesday following an 11-month investigation into anonymous letters sent to Fonterra and Federated Farmers in November last year.
The letters, sent with small packages of milk powder laced with a concentrated form of 1080, threatened to contaminate infant and other formula with the poison unless New Zealand stopped using 1080 for pest control by the end of March.
No contaminated infant formula was ever identified.
Five search warrants executed by police in Auckland and the Rangitikei district on Tuesday led to the man's arrest and brought the investigation to a close, police commissioner Mike Bush said.
Police say the man was working alone and there is no threat to the public.
The arrest prompted an outpouring of relief from political and industry leaders.
Prime Minister John Key said the threat had worried his government immensely.
"It's very good news that the police have arrested someone," Mr Key told reporters.
"We always thought it was a hoax but because of the remote risk of it being carried out, it was very worrying."
The two victims of the blackmail threat, Fonterra and Federated Farmers, welcomed the arrest and eagerly await the outcome of the impending court case.
