Police arrested three suspects yesterday for attempting to blackmail a famous soft-drink company.
According to investigators, the suspects earlier this month sent threatening e-mails to the customer service division of the Taipei-based Hey-Song Corp, a maker of a popular line of soda.
The suspects said they would circulate rumors that the company used contaminated water to make its beverages if it failed to pay NT$3 million.
The suspects targeted Hey-Song's factory in Chungli City, Taoyuan County.
The three said they would tell the media that the factory -- located near a former plant run by RCA with a history of contamination problems -- used groundwater polluted with heavy metals.
Hey-Song did not respond to the first e-mail. A few days later, the suspects sent a second e-mail and left a phone message with a mobile phone number and contact information.
The company reported the case to the Ta-an police station.
Police located the suspects by tracing the phone call and e-mails, Chiang Kui-chang (姜貴昌), spokesman for the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office, said.
Police yesterday searched three sites in Taoyuan County and three in Miaoli County, arresting the three suspects, Chiang said.
The public relations department at Hey-Song declined to comment yesterday.
Police yesterday said the suspects have prior records and a history of drug abuse. Investigators also said they seized counterfeit bank notes and illegal drugs at the suspects' homes.
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