Canadian Press
reports that Prince Edward Island's potato industry
has increased the reward it is offering to $500,000 for information that leads
to the arrest and conviction of whomever is responsible for inserting metal
objects into potatoes.
The new reward is available until Aug.
15, and tips received from Aug. 16 to Oct. 31 will be eligible for the previous
reward amount of $100,000.
The federal government recently
announced it will spend $1.5 million to buy metal detection equipment to help
find foreign objects in potatoes from the province.
The funding will be used to purchase and
install detection equipment, while an extra $500,000 from the province is being
used for on-site security assessments and training.
There have been several cases of metal
objects being found in potatoes in Atlantic Canada, with most coming from a
farm in P.E.I.
Police are investigating cases of metal
objects found in potatoes sold in grocery stores in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
and Prince Edward Island.
