Vietnamese suspect may have planned to put needles in strawberries in Australia

Ms. My Ut Trinh, 50 years old, had to use a Vietnamese interpreter on November 12 when she appeared before the Brisbane Magistrates Court on seven charges related to the sabotage of the strawberry industry in Australia.

AAPThe indictment said the female suspect came to Australia as a refugee in her 20s and was granted Australian citizenship. She worked as a supervisor at Berrylicious Farm in Queensland state.

Between September 2 and 5, she inserted needles into a quantity of strawberries on the farm, possibly due to a disagreement with her boss, Kevin Tran. She reportedly told co-workers that she “wanted to ruin” and “destroy” her boss’s business.

Prosecutors said the crime appeared to have been carefully planned over several months and Ms Trinh's DNA was found on a needle in a box of strawberries.

As hundreds of needle-infested strawberry cases have been reported across Australia and even in neighboring New Zealand, officials believe more suspects are copying Trinh’s actions to disrupt the multi-million dollar industry. Many strawberry growers like her have suffered huge economic losses as their produce has been destroyed or recalled.

Judge Christine Roney refused bail to Ms Trinh’s lawyer, Michael Cridland, until the exact motive behind her actions could be established. Mr Cridland withdrew his bail application but said his client was not subject to a flight ban. He said Ms Trinh had many relatives in Brisbane, was an Australian citizen and had complied with police requests.

Ms. Trinh will be held in custody until the next hearing on November 22 and faces 10 years in prison if convicted.

The strawberry crisis, which began in early September, has caused panic among consumers across Australia, leading to the destruction of tonnes of strawberries. There have been 230 reported incidents of needles in strawberries across the country, affecting 68 brands. Police say the investigation is complex, involving most states and jurisdictions.

The Australian government said it had spent $1 million to respond to the crisis, with half of that money going towards advertising to ensure the safety of the distribution system. Australia has also spent another $1 million on the strawberry industry and provided funding to support affected farmers in Queensland.

Many foreign partners have stopped importing Australian strawberries after the scandal. Australia exports strawberries to many countries and territories including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong. This fruit accounted for 3% of Australia's fruit exports last year.