Death threat investigation

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 6

Death threat investigation

PA Wellington Detectives in Wellington and Christchurch continue to investigate the letter threatening to kill New Zealand athletes who go to the Olympic games at Moscow. Detective Sergeant J. McCully, of the Wellington fraud squad, said the Christchurch police were involved because it appeared “Patriotic New Zealanders Organisation,” the group responsible for the letter and two hoax letter bombs sent to the Russian embassy in Wellington, was based in Christchurch. “All the letters sent by the organisation originated in Christchurch,” said Mr 'McCully. The Christchurch C. 1.8. indicated yesterday that it had not yet established the. wereabouts of; the organisation. Defective Sergeant Mc-

Cully said the police were treating the letter seriously. “But at this stage there is no suggestion that anyone has been or is likely-to be injured. This organisation has made vague threats to all sorts of people,” he said. The letter that prompted the two-city investigation was sent to I.N.L. Print in Christchurch and handed on to the company’s head office in Wellington last week. The letter said, “Any athletes that go to the Moscow Olympic Games shall be considered traitors and shall be eliminated.” The secretary of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Gaines Association (Mr G. Craig) said yesterday that the association was not particularly concerned about the threat. “We- are far too busy to worry too much about things like that,” hesaid.