Extortionist threatens to poison reservoir

Press, 14 November 1977, Page 8

Extortionist threatens to poison reservoir

NZPA Miami The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation last week tried and failed to deliver a SUSI.6M ransom to an anonymous extortionist who had threatened to contaminate Miami’s water supply with botulism toxin.

Officials expressed some doubt that the threat was serious and health authorities pointed out that the toxin probably would be rendered harmless by chlorine in the water supply.

The F. 8.1. said that it attempted to deliver the requested ransom through newspaper advertisements in the “Miami Herald” and the “New York Times” but was unable to do so. Nothing more has been heard from the extortionist since the delivery attempt failed. Mr Julius Mattson, special agent in charge of the

Miami F.BJ. office, said: “We certainly are alert for further activity. We have had similar threats in the past. Fortunately none of them have been carried out. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen.” The F. 8.1. declined to comment on speculation that their decision to arrange a payment of the ransom was aimed at smoking out and capturing the extortionist, regardless of whether the threat was real or a hoax. An Atlanta newspaper, the “Journal-Constitution,” reported that the extortionist demanded SUSI.6M in two letters to the Federal Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta and a third to the Food and Drug Administration office in Miami. The first of the letters to the C.D.C. was sent about five weeks ago. The last, to the F.D.A., was received about two weeks ago.

An F. 8.1. spokesman said that Dade County authorities were not informed of the threat because “no-one can conceive that he (the extortionist) could cause the havoc he claims, that he’s going to kill everybody.” Dr Richard Morgan, Dade County’s public health director, said he thinks botulism toxin would be rendered harmless by the high chlorine levels found in the county’s water supply. It is customary to double or triple-chlorinate the well water used in the Miami area to bleach its normal light brown colour. The first letter to the C.D.C. was delivered shortly after a mistaken report that pesticides had been found in the water supply of north Miami beach resulted in a shutdown of the suburb’s water service for several days.