European 'Rat Poison Baby Food' Blackmailer Arrested: "Demanded 3.5 Billion Won in Cryptocurrency"

Threatening Email Sent to Headquarters in March
Arrest Made Through Email and Surveillance Camera Tracking

A suspect who had placed baby food containing rat poison in supermarkets across Europe, including Austria, and then attempted to blackmail the manufacturer, was apprehended on the 2nd (local time).

According to Austrian media outlets including the daily Kronen Zeitung, police in Burgenland, Austria, raided the residence of the 39-year-old male suspect on this day and arrested him on charges of attempted grievous bodily harm. Helmut Marban, a police spokesperson, stated, "We are currently investigating the suspect, so we cannot disclose his identity, the circumstances of his arrest, or the future investigation procedures."

'Carrot and Potato' 190g. Screenshot from Hip homepage

Kronen Zeitung reported that the suspect was caught using threatening emails sent to the baby food manufacturer Hipp, as well as surveillance cameras installed in supermarkets.

Hipp, a German premium organic baby food company, received a threatening email on March 27 demanding a payment of 2 million euros (approximately 3.46 billion won) in cryptocurrency. The email stated that, unless the money was transferred by April 2, two jars of baby food containing toxic substances would be placed in the Interspar supermarket in Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria, as well as in Tesco stores in Brno, Czech Republic, and Dunajska Streda, Slovakia.

Hipp did not discover the threatening email until April 16, and starting from the following day, April 17, two glass jars of baby food containing rat poison and other toxic substances were found in supermarkets in Eisenstadt and Brno. Authorities are still tracking one remaining jar of baby food containing rat poison that has not yet been recovered. The investigative authorities in Bavaria, Germany, where Hipp's headquarters are located, have provided relevant materials to Austrian authorities.

The product in question is 'Carrot and Potato' 190g. This product is intended for infants aged six months and older and comes in a glass jar that makes a clicking sound when opened if it is a normal product. However, the jars suspected of containing rat poison had a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the jar and did not make a clicking sound when opened. Founded in 1899, Hipp is a family-run company that primarily manufactures formula, baby food, and toddler meals. It is highly renowned in Europe as a premium baby food brand, and some of its products are also sold in Korea.

According to the Austrian Food Safety Authority, the main toxic ingredient found in the baby food jars is bromadiolone, which is used in rat poison. This substance blocks the action of vitamin K, interfering with blood clotting and causing internal bleeding. If a person ingests it, there are typically no specific symptoms at first other than mild fatigue, but after several days, symptoms such as gum bleeding, nosebleeds, blood in urine or stool, and bruising may appear. If the poisoning is severe, it can lead to gastrointestinal or cerebral hemorrhage, which can be life-threatening. Treatment involves administering high doses of vitamin K or receiving a blood transfusion.

Kronen Zeitung stated that additional analysis results requested by the authorities had not yet been released and that if the toxic substances are found to be potent enough to endanger life, the suspect could be charged with attempted murder. So far, there have been no known cases of anyone actually ingesting the baby food containing rat poison.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.