New Zealand's two main tobacco companies halted sales of loose tobacco
today after suspicious white powder was found in one packet. The incident
follows a series of letters, some containing traces of cyanide, which
threaten to poison food and drink in New Zealand and target the interests
of Britain, Australia and the United States.
One letter, sent before the war broke out, threatened action if events
escalated in Iraq.
A white substance was found in a tobacco pouch bought at a supermarket in
the North Island city of Tauranga yesterday, prompting fresh calls from
police for the public to report any broken seals on food and drink.
"In the interests of public safety and as a precautionary move British
American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco have issued an immediate product
freeze on the sale of all roll-your-own tobacco," BAT said in a statement.
The two British rivals, which between them control most of the New Zealand
tobacco market, said the freeze would apply until the results were known of
police analysis of the powder, probably tomorrow.
The New Zealand Herald newspaper said this month it had passed to police a
letter that threatened to poison water supplies, use explosives, gas a
cinema and attack the interests of Britain, Australia and the United States
in New Zealand.
A hoax call on Friday prompted the evacuation of a cinema complex in
Wellington, but no cyanide was found.
Traces of the poison were found in one of three letters sent in February to
the Australian, British and American embassies, threatening a terror act,
possibly against the America's Cup sailing regatta, if events escalated in
Iraq. The regatta ended without incident.
Police said there were similarities between the letters and one sent in
2001 to the US embassy in Wellington, which contained cyanide and a threat
to disrupt the 2002 NZ Golf Open, attended by Tiger Woods. That threat also
came to nothing.
Cyanide is widely used by New Zealand farmers and local government agencies
to kill animal pests such as possums.
Threatening letters are rare in the South Pacific nation.
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/31/1048962679848.html
