April 16, 1996. Copyright, 1996, Graphic News. All rights reserved

TERROR GROUPÕS POISON THREAT

LONDON April 16, Graphic News Ð In a bizarre blackmail bid that began in January, dozens of European food firms have been threatened with random poisoning of their products with a lethal cocktail of snake venom unless they hand over diamonds worth more than £173 million (DM400 million, US$265 million).

Authorities in the western German city of Essen revealed this week that demands had been sent on computer disc directly to manufacturers all over Europe. The police had not made the threats public earlier to avoid causing panic or hampering their investigations.

Although it was not clear how serious the threats were, German police last week invited representatives of food firms to Essen to exchange information and advice on how to react.

The blackmailers warned ÔYou are now receiving a declaration of war by poisoning. We are the fighting and terrorism commando Tamara S. Our means of war against your companies are the most poisonous snake cocktails in the world. There is no antidote. No one will survive.Õ The blackmailers also claimed to have access to venom from 274 types of snake and to have been collecting venom ready for an attack.

The blackmailers have set a deadline of July 1 for their demands to be fulfilled, with contact to be made through advertisements placed in German airline in-flight newspapers during June.

Medical experts say that snake venom can be swallowed with little risk of harm, but tiny cuts or bleeding gums in the mouth could let sufficient enter the bloodstream, with possibly fatal results.

Sources: BBC World Service, UK News