Letters sent to NY mayor found to contain ricin
Iran Press TV
Thu May 30, 2013 1:6AM GMT
US authorities say two threatening letters containing traces of the deadly poison ricin have been sent to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his gun-control group in Washington.
New York Police Department (NYPD) said on Wednesday that letters were opened Friday in New York at the city’s mail facility and Sunday at a building in Washington that houses Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group Bloomberg helps run and finances.
Investigators believe both letters were sent by the same person. Bloomberg reportedly never received the letter addressed to him.
The letters contained "anonymous threats" and "when tested locally, preliminarily indicated the presence of ricin," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said in a statement.
"The writer, in letters, threatened Mayor Bloomberg, with references to the debate on gun laws."
Members of the police department’s Emergency Service Unit who came into contact with the letter at the New York mail facility had "minor symptoms of ricin exposure" on Saturday, according to Browne.
"The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD Intelligence Division, which is responsible for the mayor's protection, are investigating the threats," the statement said.
Bloomberg, a multi-billionaire media and financial information magnate, has been campaigning nationwide and on Capitol Hill for tougher gun laws for the past year.
Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans and can be fatal if swallowed or inhaled.
MN/MHB
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