Needles found in Australian fruit spurs 15-year jail term proposal
Make a pav with strawberries on it, suggests the prime minister
Sydney — Australia plans to increase the maximum jail term to 15 years for anyone convicted of contaminating foodstuffs, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, as a scare over sewing needles found in strawberries and other fruits grips the country. He described the action as "akin to terrorism". Police are investigating more than 100 reports of needles found in fruit. Needles, first found in strawberries produced by one supplier in the northern state of Queensland, are now turning up around the country. On Tuesday, police in New South Wales said they were investigating incidents involving an apple and a banana. Said Morrison, "We’re not mucking about. This is not on, this is just not on in this country." Calling the perpetrator a "coward and a grub", Morrison says the new maximum sentence would put the crime on par with "things like possessing child pornography and financing terrorism. That’s how seriously I take this." "Just go back to buying strawberries like you used to...
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