Threat to contaminate infant formula with 1080: Arrest made

Police have arrested a 60-year-old man over a threat to contaminate infant formula with the poison 1080.

Commissioner Mike Bush made the announcement this afternoon at a press conference held in Auckland.

A 60-year-old businessman was arrested this morning and charged with two counts of criminal blackmail.

The investigation began when letters were sent to Fonterra and Federated Farmers in November last year threatening to poison infant formula if New Zealand did not stop using the pest-control poison by the end of March this year.

The public were informed of the threat in March and infant formula was pulled from the shelves of supermarkets and held securely to prevent contamination in store.

Police first told the public about the threat at a media conference with Fonterra on March 10.

Infant formula was pulled from the shelves of supermarket and held behind counters to prevent any contamination in shops.

At the end of March, police said they had as many as 2000 persons of interest related to the investigation, dubbed Operation Concord.

Timeline of the threat and response

• November 27, 2014: Fonterra and Federated Farmers receive a letter threatening to contaminate infant formula.

• On the same day a watch group of government agencies is formed to consider the threat. The Prime Minister, the Minister for Primary Industries, the Minister for Food Safety, the Minister of Police, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister for Trade.

• January 15, 2015: Milk testing methods validated, and the sampling strategy approved.

• February 10: First meetings with affected infant and other formula manufacturers.

• February 11: Initial meetings with major global suppliers.

• February 13: Food and Grocery Council chief executive told of the threat.

• February 18: Initial meetings with New Zealand supermarket chains.

• February 25: Labour leader Andrew Little told of threat.

• March 10: Public announcement at media conference.

- NZME.