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Global

NZ police arrest man over infant formula contamination threat


    WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand policy said on Tuesday a 60-year old businessman has been arrested and charged with two counts of criminal blackmail after an 11-month investigation into a threat to contaminate New Zealand infant formula with pesticide.

    Letters were sent to the national farmers' group and dairy giant Fonterra last November, accompanied by packages of infant formula laced with the pesticide 1080, deMAN (MAN.XE)ing that use of the toxic pesticide be stopped by the end of March.

    China is the biggest buyer of New Zealand dairy products but New Zealand's agriculture ministry has said there had been no sign of countries stopping shipments because of the threat.

    (Reporting by Ian Chua; Editing by Paul Tait)