Australian state offers $70,000 reward as strawberries 'sabotaged'

Queensland is a major strawberry producer in a national industry worth more than A$130 million a year

The Australian state of Queensland on Saturday offered a A$100,000 ($71,500) reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for sabotaging strawberries with sewing needles.

The police have said that six brands of strawberries in Australia are believed to be contaminated with needles and pins, prompting warnings from authorities to slice the fruit before eating.

"Someone is trying to sabotage the industry but also in doing that, they are putting babies' and children's and families' lives at risk," Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said at a press conference, where she confirmed the reward.

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