An 18-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly menacing a teacher and leading a school community to believe its food had been poisoned with lead acetate, while seeking a ransom of $2.59m.
The man was arrested after a “complex investigation” by South Australian police on Wednesday night which involved assistance from federal units including the domestic spy agency, Asio. The man faced an Adelaide magistrates court on Thursday.
According to court documents, South Australian police allege the man, whose identity has been suppressed, “made it appear that food, namely yoghurt, brownies, juice, jelly, hot cross buns and apples had been or were about to be contaminated with lead acetate”.
Police allege this was done with an intention to “cause prejudice, to create a risk of prejudice or to create an apprehension of a risk of prejudice to the health and safety of the public and, by doing so, cause public alarm and anxiety”.
Lead acetate is harmful substance that can cause serious health problems. It is highly toxic to a person’s nerve system and can potentially lead to irreversible neurological damage.
The man has also been accused of menacing a staff member at Glenunga International high school between 19 February and 14 May and demanding they introduce “systemic changes” at the school. Glenunga is the state’s largest public school.
Police also alleged the accused menaced a “covert operative” during the same period of time and demanded they pay him a combination of bitcoin and cash worth $2.59m.
South Australian police’s acting commissioner, Linda Williams, said the force took the alleged crimes “very seriously”. More than 100 police officers were involved in the investigation, which was considered a top priority.
“As you would appreciate, because the matter is before the court, there are limited details that I can share with you,” Williams said at a press conference on Friday morning.
“Can I stress that community safety was at the forefront of every decision that was made throughout this investigation. We have worked with the education department to ensure the ongoing safety of children, the school community and the broader South Australian community.”
The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, said the police investigation was the most complex matter he had ever been briefed on. He said he was first told about the threats on 2 May, more than two weeks ago.
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“This was a major investigation,” Malinauskas said at a press conference on Friday.
“It was technically extremely complicated and men and women within South Australian police were literally spending countless nights and days working on this matter and, in each and every step of the way, seeking to ensure that community safety was at the heart of every decision they made.
“There’s also been collaboration at the federal level, including with Asio, which speaks to the seriousness in which South Australian police took up this challenge and have been able to deliver an outcome in terms of an arrest in the last 24 hours.”
The Adelaide Advertiser reported that in the email threats from the accused – which were also sent to that masthead – he allegedly dubbed himself “the ‘prophet of justice’ and a ‘hero’ who would ‘cleanse corruption’”.
The accused has been remanded in custody.
