BERLIN – German authorities have arrested a 55-year-old man suspected of making threats to poison supermarket food unless a large payment was made.
Police and prosecutors in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said the man arrested Friday is “urgently suspected” of attempted blackmail.
Authorities and companies received an email this month threatening to poison unspecified food at branches of German retailers inside the country and beyond unless more than 10 million euros ($11.8 million) was paid by Saturday.
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The blackmailer alerted authorities that five jars of baby food at shops near Germany’s southern border had been tampered with. Officials located the jars and found they contained ethylene glycol – a compound used in antifreeze – but said there’s no evidence anyone was poisoned.
Authorities released supermarket surveillance camera photos of the suspect Thursday.
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