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Austria Arrests 39-Year-Old in HiPP Baby-Food Rat-Poison Case

The arrest advances an extortion probe involving rat poison in HiPP jars.

Overview

  • Austrian police, who arrested a 39-year-old suspect on Saturday in Burgenland, charged him with causing a public danger and attempted grievous bodily harm.
  • Investigators say the motive points to blackmail, and Die Presse reported a €2 million demand emailed to HiPP in March that the company later said reached an infrequently checked group inbox.
  • Five tampered jars were recovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, including a 190-gram jar in Eisenstadt that contained 15 micrograms of rat poison.
  • Health agencies said the poison interferes with vitamin K and can cause delayed bleeding two to five days after ingestion.
  • No illnesses tied to the jars have been reported, and a recall in Austria and cross-border police work continue as at least one suspected jar remains unaccounted for.