Police suspect online call behind tampered Halloween sweets

Police in Lower Austria reported two more cases of Halloween sweets tampered with metal parts on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to six and Austria’s to 17, ORF reported. Investigators suspect the incidents may have followed an online call because the method was similar across several European countries.

Cases involving tampered Halloween sweets have also been reported in Germany, Hungary and Sweden. The sweets differed, but investigators said the way they had been altered was similar. Heinz Holub-Friedreich, a spokesperson for Austria’s Federal Criminal Police Office, said it would be too much of a coincidence for sweets to be tampered with in similar ways across several countries without an online call to action.

The motive remains unknown, and investigators said their inquiries were at an early stage and were proceeding in all directions. There had been no ransom demands, Holub-Friedreich said.

The Federal Criminal Police Office has set up an investigation group called Treat, bringing together its cybercrime competence centre, Darknet investigators, its analysis unit and investigators from regional criminal police offices.

Police urged people to check sweets collected at Halloween. The checks could help uncover further cases, and sweets kept at home for a long time could mean that incidents are reported well after Halloween.