Foot-and-mouth threat made by extortionists

Press, 20 January 1984, Page 4

Foot-and-mouth threat made by extortionists

NZPA-AAP Brisbane Federal and state police throughout Australia have been placed on alert after the Queensland Government received an extortion threat to release the deadly foot-and-mouth virus unless reforms were made in the state’s prison system. The Premier, Mr Joh Bjelke-Petersen, told a hurriedly convened news conference in Brisbane late yesterday that the demands were a threat to the multibillion dollar primary industry and hence the national economy. However, he said, his Government would refuse to deal with terrorists or extortionists. “You can’t afford to treat demands of this nature in a light-handed manner but we will not meet any of these demands — we do not bow to these sorts of threat,” he said.

Mr Bjelke-Petersen’s office received the demands in a letter three days ago, but the threat was made public yesterday after further copies began turning up elsewhere.

The letter demanded the release of every person imprisoned in Queensland after cases in which police evidence was challenged; the return of all nonQueensland prisoners to jails in their home states, and the replacement of superintendents in Queensland prisons by persons with university qualifications.

Unless the demands were met within 12 weeks, the

foot-and-mouth disease virus would be introduced around the country through feral animals to ensure a reservoir for continued infection of livestock, the letter said. The Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, telephoned Mr Bjelke-Petersen yesterday afternoon immediately after being notified of the threat. He expressed his concern and asked the Premier to treat it very seriously. Federal police in conjunction with the Queensland police have given high priority to investigation of the threat, presumed to relate to recent turmoil within the Queensland prison system, including the recent riot at the Brisbane jail.

The police had been alerted at airports around Australia, and Queensland veterinary authorities had stepped up exotic disease surveillance, Mr Bjelke-Pet-ersen said last evening. Quarantine staff were also on the lookout for possible importation of illegal biological agents and other materials which might contain foot-and-mouth virus.

“Everything possible is being done to track down the source of the threat,” the Premier said.

Asked whether it was possible to be fully vigilant when Queensland’s coastline alone stretched for 3700 kilometres, he replied: “There’s a lot of coming and going along parts of the coastline that cannot be checked but at the same

time we are as alert as possible.

“It would be a disastrous blow to the cattle industry, the pig industry and livestock generally,” Mr BjelkePetersen said.

In spite of the decision to publicise the threat, the Premier would not give any further details than the basic demands, maintaining this could jeopardise police inquiries. Mr Bjelke-Petersen said that state health authorities were ready to implement carefully prepared contingency plans immediately any reports were received leading to suspicion of any exotic disease. The Federal Minister of Primary Industry, Mr John Kerin, and the Minister of Health, Mr Neal Blewett, yesterday refused to give details of the threat.

“To protect our livestock industries, Australian quarantine regulations are among the toughest in the world,” they said in a statement.

A leading cattle industry spokesman said yesterday that introduction of foot-and-mouth disease through feral animals could probably go undetected.

Foot-and-mouth disease, which is highly contagious among cloven-footed animals, could be spread from feral pigs to herds of cattle or sheep by physical contact and there was a traditional belief it was spread by wind patterns, the Cattlemen’s Council president, Mr lan Park said.