New Zealand police were on heightened alert for terrorist threats to the America's Cup yesterday after letters containing cyanide crystals and bound for US and British embassies were intercepted in Auckland.
Jon White, head of New Zealand's counterterror squad, told reporters that letters containing the cyanide and white powder were discovered by postal workers in Auckland, venue for the America's Cup regatta between Team New Zealand and Alinghi of Switzerland.
PHOTO: AP
Three identical letters, addressed to the US Embassy, and the British and Australian High Commissions in Wellington were ``secured'' at the Auckland Mail Center last Friday, White said.
Police were called after ``staff saw some powder coming loose,'' he said.
A fourth letter containing white powder was addressed to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.
White declined to release details of the threats in the letters, but said they related to ``actions'' which could occur if Iraq was attacked, and during the sailing of the final races of the America's Cup.
``A small quantity of cyanide [was] in one of the letters,'' White said, the reference to the America's Cup ``is of considerable concern to us.''
The powder in the three letters had been tested for anthrax ``and there was no anthrax present,'' he added. ``It's quite a serious situation and we wouldn't want to take it lightly.''
Enough cyanide paste to kill up to 20 people was sent in a threatening letter to the US Embassy shortly before Tiger Woods played in the New Zealand Open golf tournament in January last year.
White said police hadn't ruled out that the latest letters came from the same person.
He said the letters warned an escalation of the Iraqi crisis ``could be a trigger in terms of terrorist acts.'' No acts were specified by the letters.
Alinghi is leading cup holder Team New Zealand 3-0 in the best-of-nine final series being raced on the Hauraki Gulf.
Police have recently increased security around the cup venue, but did not believe further tightening was needed at this stage.
``We're concerned people are advised ... so they can take their own precautions'' around food and drink, White said.
The public terror warning came on the same day New Zealand Police Minister George Hawkins denied in parliament that police had quashed for political reasons information into a hate mail case involving Alinghi.
Letters received by Alinghi in December threatened violence to the families of crew who had switched from Team New Zealand to the Swiss syndicate were signed, "Teach the Traitors a Lesson."
Winston Peters, head of the New Zealand First political party, told parliament there were rumors that the hate mail had come from within the Swiss syndicate.
Hawkins said the police inquiry into the letters was ongoing.
``Reporters might indulge in that [speculation] without substantiation of those claims,'' he said.
The letters contained phrases used in newsletters circulated by the BlackHeart organization, which formed last September to pester sailors who quit New Zealand for other teams.
Russell Coutts, skipper of Alinghi, won the previous two America's Cups with New Zealand.
Police cleared BlackHeart of involvement but the organization scaled down its activities.
In January Police confirmed they were exploring the possibility the letters had originated within Alinghi. Swiss spokesman Bernard Schopfer said yesterday it was ``natural'' that possibility should arise.
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