Officials Arrest 12 In NYC For Selling Toxic Pesticides
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - Law enforcement officials have arrested a dozen people after lethal pesticides were found on store shelves across New York City, mostly in Chinatown.
Raids conducted last week by federal and state experts uncovered nearly 350 illegal products, including rat poison, mosquito repellants and mothballs that could be fatal if ingested.
1010 WINS' Stan Brooks Hears From The EPA's Judith Enck
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Officials say most of the pesticides came from China and were sold at dirt-cheap prices.
The products come in brightly colored packages. Some of them look and smell like cookie crumbs, making them tempting to children and potentially deadly, 1010 WINS' Stan Brooks reported.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. says you shouldn't be fooled.
"They can kill you," he said Monday.
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EPA regional administrator Judith Enck says they're actually illegal pesticides and rodenticides. One in particular was sold in Chinatown under the name - "Cat Be Unemployed."
"It contains an active ingredient Brodifacoum at 61 times the concentration allowed by the EPA," said Enck.
"People and businesses that make and sell these products are playing Russian Roulette with people's health," Enck said.
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