Blackmailers Vow To Put Venom In Food

Blackmailers have threatened to lace food in stores across Europe with snake venom unless they are given a fortune in diamonds, according to a prosecutor.

Law officials recently invited top managers from 60 European companies to an urgent meeting in Essen to discuss the threat, Essen prosecutor Norbert Golsong said Monday.

Golsong said threats began in January.

Bild Zeitung newspaper said the unidentified blackmailers have been sending computer disks to European food companies.

The disks contain a threat to inject food with venom from cobras, mambas and other snakes if the companies fail to give them $266 million worth of diamonds, the newspaper said.