Suspect arrested in Austria for contaminating baby food jars with rat poison

Austrian authorities announced on Saturday the arrest of a 39-year-old man suspected of attempting to extort 2 million euros from the well-known German baby food manufacturer, HiPP. The arrest comes after an international alert, where jars contaminated with rat poison were discovered in several Central European countries.

A spokeswoman for the Eisenstadt Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the suspect was arrested in the southern Austrian state of Burgenland. Although initial Austrian media reports suggested an arrest in Salzburg, authorities clarified that the operation was finalized in Burgenland.

The person’s identity has not been disclosed for investigative reasons, while police are questioning him to uncover a possible network of accomplices or other motives for this serious act.

The dynamics of blackmail, 2 million euros or “poison”

The incident began in March, when a threatening email was sent to the company HiPP. The author demanded payment of 2 million euros within a six-day deadline. Due to a technical oversight, the company only noticed the message two weeks after the deadline had expired, as the email was sent to a general address that was not regularly monitored.

Risk to consumers and measures taken

Authorities confirmed that a 190-gram jar of “carrots and potatoes” containing 15 micrograms of rat poison was seized at a Spar supermarket in Eisenstadt.

Tampered jars were found in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company immediately withdrew the specific product from the Austrian market.

HiPP has guaranteed that its product range in Germany has not been affected by this manipulation.

German police are also involved in the investigation, as the jars are manufactured at the main factory in Pfaffenhofen, Bavaria. Investigators are currently searching for a second possible jar that may have been poisoned on Austrian territory.

This case has caused great concern among parents, but authorities emphasize that thanks to thorough checks, no children suffered health damage before the products were removed from circulation.