Someone mixes poison in drinks bottles and puts them back on the supermarket shelf unnoticed. Several customers drink from it. Police warn that lethal drinks could still be bought.
Munich (dpa) - One more sip could have been fatal. Unsuspectingly, three people bought an alcohol-free soft drink and drank from it. Suddenly they became sick, complaining of dizziness and circulatory problems.
They were still lucky: According to the police, they could have died. Investigations into attempted murder are now underway. The manipulated bottles reportedly appeared in two Munich supermarkets in March and April. "The fact is: the bottles have been opened. Someone poured out part of the drink and filled in solvent instead," said a police spokesman on Tuesday. The officer did not say exactly what poison it was, for reasons of investigation. Just so much: "It was always the same stuff."
The police also prefer not to provide any further information about the drinks. "The poison could be in every bottle." Customers should not mistakenly consider themselves safe by not using a particular brand or variety. "In the end, it can be any bottle, any drink with a screw cap." With any other closure, such as a bottle cap, it is more difficult to properly close the bottle again.
Some of the bottles were dirty on the outside, the spokesman said. But the customers hadn't thought of anything, especially since the color of the drink was quite normal. They would have picked up a bottle - and luckily they had only drunk a small amount.
According to the police, two women aged 34 and 42 had to be given medical treatment immediately. A 48-year-old customer is said to have had a bad time afterwards. In the meantime, however, all those affected are well again, the police officer assured. In the course of the investigation, the officers discovered a fourth manipulated bottle on a supermarket shelf - and it could be more.
The background of the crime and a possible motive of the unknown perpetrator are still completely open, according to police. There are no indications of possible blackmailing of supermarkets belonging to two different retail chains. "There have been no demands so far," said the investigators. "It's completely atypical. Usually it's about blackmail."
Just like in the case of the poisoned baby jars on Lake Constance, which is currently being renegotiated before the regional court in Ravensburg: a man had placed baby food with a dangerous dose of poison in shops in Friedrichshafen. He claimed 11.7 million euros from various retail companies, and nobody was injured.
Supermarket blackmailers are rare, the spokesman from Munich said. The police set up a special commission there, the "Soko Tox" - and urgently warns against drinking from beverage bottles whose circlips are no longer intact. In addition, consumers should pay attention to a noticeable smell. The affected customers described the taste as bitter and chemical.
If there is suspicion of having bought a poisoned bottle, the police call not to simply dispose of the substance, but to call 911. The police are also looking for other victims.