Austrian Police Arrest Baby Food Poisoner, Suspected of Extorting Manufacturer for Over 74 Million
Austrian police arrested a man suspected of poisoning baby food with rat poison in an alleged extortion plot against a manufacturer, demanding over NT$74 million. The contaminated products were successfully recalled before consumption.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 08:49
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Central News
(Vienna, Central News Agency, May 2) Austrian police today arrested a man suspected of contaminating baby food jars with rat poison, a move authorities speculate was part of an extortion plot.
APA, the Austrian news agency, cited police sources reporting that the 39-year-old suspect was arrested in Burgenland, south of Vienna. Police did not disclose his name or the exact location of the arrest.
He is accused of deliberately endangering public safety and attempting to cause serious bodily harm.
The arrest came two weeks after Austrian authorities detected rat poison in baby food jars sold in some supermarkets. These products were manufactured by Germany-based HiPP, and German police have also launched an investigation into the case.
Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia subsequently recalled five tampered products within days, fortunately intercepting them before public consumption. Police stated that they believe this crime was an attempt to extort HiPP, and the company has issued a product recall in Austria.
One of the poisoned products was purchased from a Spar supermarket in Eisenstadt, Burgenland. Test results showed that the product contained 15 micrograms of rat poison.
Another product from the same Spar supermarket is also suspected of being tampered with poison, but it has not yet been found.
Although HiPP did not elaborate on the details of the extortion, the Austrian newspaper "Die Presse" reported shortly after the incident that HiPP had received an email in March demanding 2 million Euros (approximately NT$74.12 million) within six days. However, HiPP did not notice the email until two weeks after the deadline.
HiPP later explained that the email was sent to a group mailbox that was not frequently checked. (Editor: Chen Yu-ting) 1150503
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(Vienna, Central News Agency, May 2) Austrian police today arrested a man suspected of contaminating baby food jars with rat poison, a move authorities speculate was part of an extortion plot.
APA, the Austrian news agency, cited police sources reporting that the 39-year-old suspect was arrested in Burgenland, south of Vienna. Police did not disclose his name or the exact location of the arrest.
He is accused of deliberately endangering public safety and attempting to cause serious bodily harm.
The arrest came two weeks after Austrian authorities detected rat poison in baby food jars sold in some supermarkets. These products were manufactured by Germany-based HiPP, and German police have also launched an investigation into the case.
Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia subsequently recalled five tampered products within days, fortunately intercepting them before public consumption. Police stated that they believe this crime was an attempt to extort HiPP, and the company has issued a product recall in Austria.
One of the poisoned products was purchased from a Spar supermarket in Eisenstadt, Burgenland. Test results showed that the product contained 15 micrograms of rat poison.
Another product from the same Spar supermarket is also suspected of being tampered with poison, but it has not yet been found.
Although HiPP did not elaborate on the details of the extortion, the Austrian newspaper "Die Presse" reported shortly after the incident that HiPP had received an email in March demanding 2 million Euros (approximately NT$74.12 million) within six days. However, HiPP did not notice the email until two weeks after the deadline.
HiPP later explained that the email was sent to a group mailbox that was not frequently checked. (Editor: Chen Yu-ting) 1150503
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.