Tainted candy

After Horrifying Discoveries: Police Establish Dedicated Unit

The Federal Criminal Police Office is now working with Europol and German authorities to track down the perpetrators.(Bild: Krone-Collage/P. Huber, LPD Steiermark)

No stone is being left unturned following the recent shocking discoveries in Halloween candy across several countries—including three Austrian states. According to information from “Krone,” the Federal Criminal Police Office is now setting up its own task force in collaboration with Europol and German authorities to track down the perpetrators. Meanwhile, there is now a first young victim in Austria who has been injured.

In several federal states, treats laced with metal objects—such as nails or paper clips—were discovered after Halloween. On Monday evening, the Federal Criminal Police Office confirmed such cases in Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Styria. 

Warning to Parents

The Federal Criminal Police Office advises parents and guardians to thoroughly check the candy collected by children before they eat it. In particular, they should check whether the packaging is damaged or if there are any foreign objects—such as metal parts—inside the candy. Suspicious finds should be reported to the police immediately.

Cases in Three Federal States
In Linz, a 28-year-old father found nails in chocolate bars and chewy candies that his children had collected—which is why law enforcement is currently issuing a special warning against consuming candy collected in the Linz-Oed district. The treats were apparently tampered with by hand. In the district of Vöcklabruck, a girl narrowly escaped injury. A needle was discovered in both a chewy candy and a chocolate bar. Although the child took a bite out of one of the treats, she did not bite down on the piece of metal.

The Federal Criminal Police Office is now working with Europol and German authorities to track down the perpetrators.(Bild: Krone-Collage/P. Huber, LPD Steiermark)

Four additional cases were reported in Styria from the districts of Weiz and Leibnitz. The metal objects included a sewing needle, two metal pins, and one paper clip, said a police spokesperson. Based on current information, the four cases are not believed to be connected, though this cannot be completely ruled out.

A family in the Leibnitz district became aware of the potentially tampered candy through media reports and checked the treats with a magnet. The magnet made a slight clinking sound, which is how the piece of metal was discovered, ORF reported online.  

Here’s What to Do

• Austrian police warned parents and guardians to carefully check the candy collected on Halloween night together with their children before eating it.
• In particular, they should check whether the packaging has been damaged or tampered with and whether there are any foreign objects—especially metallic ones—inside the candy.
• At the same time, people are urged to remain calm. Health complaints such as headaches, nausea, or feeling unwell can have various causes and are not necessarily related to the consumption of potentially tampered candy.
• If you find candy that appears to have been tampered with, keep it along with its packaging and report it to the police. To preserve potential evidence for the criminal investigation, do not remove any foreign objects from the candy or tamper with it in any other way.

Injured Girl in Lower Austria
The first child to be injured in this incident was reported in the Amstetten district of Lower Austria. A 10-year-old girl suffered a minor mouth injury on Monday after biting into a mini chocolate bar that contained a hidden needle, police spokesperson Johann Baumschlager said on Tuesday. An appeal was issued urging people not to eat any collected candy without first checking it.

Cases Also in Germany
The situation is different in Germany: There, a nine-year-old girl in Lower Saxony was apparently injured on her tongue. The police reported additional cases in Thuringia, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Rhineland-Palatinate, among other places.

It remains unclear whether the incidents may have been fueled by social media or similar cases in Germany.