P'nP threat looms large

2003-07-11 19:04

Johannesburg - Pick 'n Pay on Friday withdrew two flavours of Maggi two-minute noodles, possibly poisoned with low levels of cyanide, as police continued to search for an extortionist.

The supermarket group has been threatened by an extortionist for the past eight weeks, and has had to withdraw four products from its shelves because of low-level cyanide poisoning.

On Friday Pick 'n Pay withdrew two flavours of Maggi two-minute noodles: cheese and chicken.

This was because the same customer whose child had eaten a packet of barbeque-flavoured Fritos chips had also purchased two two-minute noodle packets - one of each of these flavours - at the same time, Pick 'n Pay said in a statement.

A Pick 'n Pay spokesperson said the packet had also been found to contain very low traces of cyanide. The child's blood had been tested and had reconfirmed traces of cyanide.

The girl, who is nine, was at home undergoing further treatment.

"This comes after all other blood tests, other than the original three, had shown no traces of cyanide poisoning."

She said the customer bought the chips and the noodles at the same store in Kensington, eastern Johannesburg.

Pick 'n Pay chief executive Sean Summers said the three people who were directly affected by the activities of "this consumer terrorist" have been exposed to very low levels of cyanide poisoning.

Meanwhile national police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba said police would follow up all information reported to them, no matter how silly or ludicrous it appeared.

He was reacting to a report that two Bloemfontein women might have spotted the extortionist.

Bokaba called on the women to report the matter to the police.

It was reported on Friday that a Bloemfontein housewife overheard a suspicious cellphone conversation by a man sitting behind her at Cape Town International Airport.

A teacher sitting opposite them in the departure lounge on Sunday afternoon, also from Bloemfontein, confirmed that the "Oriental-looking" man acted very suspiciously.

"He first read the headlines of an English newspaper and was very excited when he phoned someone on his cellphone," the housewife said.

"How's it there in Durban? Tell (name inaudible) it works!" she allegedly overheard the man saying.

"Tell him to buy the English Sunday papers. It's now nationwide and they even offer a reward," the cellphone conversation reportedly went.

It was reported Bokaba burst out laughing when he was told about the women's observations, saying the extortionist was much more clever than that.

Pick 'n Pay has offered a reward of R5m for information leading to the arrest of the extortionist.

The other products which have been withdrawn were Pick 'n Pay No Name Brand Sardines 120g, Pick 'n Pay Choice Garlic Flakes 100ml bottle, Lucky Star Pilchards in Chilli 155g, and Simba 25g Fritos Barbeque Strip Pack 4s.

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest and conviction of the extortionist can phone the Pick 'n Pay reward line, 011-455-3843.

- SAPA