Federal agents from several agencies arrested 12 in a sweep targetting illegal imported pesticides in New York's Chinatown. The unlabelled or mislabelled pesticides were especially dangerous because they could be mistakenly consumed and were potent enough to kill a child.
"The investigation began with a vial of blue-green liquid. Roughly two inches tall, it came in a yellow and blue box covered with Chinese characters and, in English, the words 'The cat be unemployed.'
The pesticide, which was apparently smuggled into the United States from China, contained one deadly ingredient in a concentration almost 61 times as great as what federal regulations allow, according to court papers.
The chemical, brodifacoum, is so dangerous, officials said, that its use is illegal in urban areas unless it is applied by licensed professionals wearing protective gear and using special equipment. Federal regulators have recently moved to further restrict its use, in part because its ingestion could kill a small child."
William K. Rashbaum reports for the New York Times September 19, 2011.
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