China has detained a man suspected of poisoning frozen dumplings that were exported to Japan two years ago, sickening 10 people and causing tension between China and Japan.
The suspect, Lu Yueting, 36, put a poisonous substance in the frozen dumplings when he worked at a food plant based in China’s Hebei province, state media reported quoting the Ministry of Public Security.
The poisoned dumplings, which sickened 10 people in Japan in 2008, caused a food safety scare and sparked tension between China and Japan with the latter saying someone had deliberately poisoning the potstickers with insecticide.
State media reported Lu acted out of revenge as he was dissatisfied with his pay and colleagues.
Lu has apparently confessed and police have found injectors he used to poison the dumplings and collected several witness accounts, the statement from the ministry said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama praised China’s efforts in the case and said the move would help develop ties between the two countries.
“I appreciate the efforts of Chinese officials and further expect to clear up the causes of this incident,” Hatoyama said in a statement.
“We will keep close communications with the Chinese side and cooperate with each other to resolve this case early and expect relations between Japan and China to develop further.”
