Hongkonger held for ‘placing Coca-Cola, 7-Up bottles mixed with urine in shops’

Hong Kong police have arrested a man, 63, on suspicion of mixing his urine with at least seven bottles of Coca-Cola Plus and 7-Up and placing them on shelves at several supermarkets across the city, which left a nine-year-old in need of hospital treatment.

The force said on Monday that the unemployed suspect was apprehended in Sham Shui Po on Saturday for allegedly administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy another person, an offence punishable by up to three years in prison.

It added that the urine was not injected into the bottles and that the man was believed to have targeted supermarkets in Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok and Wan Chai in the past year.

The man allegedly acted out of revenge following unpleasant experiences, possibly a quarrel, with supermarket staff. He is expected to be charged and will appear at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

“Police stress that the case committed by the suspect this time is a very serious crime, involving not only public health but also the public’s confidence in food safety,” Yau Yu-sing, chief inspector of the Kowloon West regional crime unit, said at a press briefing.

The case came to light in late July after a nine-year-old boy felt unwell after consuming a drink bought from one of the supermarkets.

He was taken to hospital for treatment and was discharged the same day with no lasting symptoms, Yau said. Most of the contaminated drinks were discovered by supermarket staff during routine checks.