ROME — Italian supermarkets are on high alert in an attempt to thwart the "Aquabomber," a mystery assailant who has been injecting bleach and acetone into plastic bottles of water, Reuters said in an article reported by CNN.
Nearly a dozen people, including two children, have been taken to the hospital with stomach pains after drinking contaminated bottled water over the past two weeks. Italians reported more than 20 cases of apparent tampering with bottles of different brands in different regions of the country for yesterday alone, the article said.
Thousands of plastic bottles have been withdrawn from shelves and security guards and cameras are keeping a close eye on aisles where beverages are kept. Sales of water in plastic bottles are expected to plummet. Stores are already reporting a rise in the sale of glass bottles of water, the news service stated.
Police told Reuters that the saboteur, or copycat saboteurs, use a syringe to inject small amounts of poisonous liquids like bleach, acetone or ammonia just below the cap.
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