Australian woman charged with lacing colleague's curry with snail poison

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - SYDNEY — A 43-year-old Australian woman has been charged with lacing a colleague's curry with poisonous snail pellets at their workplace.

Police said the incident occurred in February after a 58-year-old woman brought a container of curry to work to share with colleagues in Oldbury, south-east of Perth. Employees ate the food during a morning tea break without issue.

When the woman returned to eat more curry at lunchtime, she allegedly noticed bright green granules in the food. After tasting it, she reported numbness on her tongue. The food was retained and later provided to police.

The accused has been charged with endangering the life, health or safety of another person after a months-long investigation, and will face court on 5 November.

Police allege the accused woman, who hasn't been named, visited a chemical storage shed before returning to the staffroom where the curry was kept.

After tasting it, the alleged victim handed the meal over to detectives, who identified the substance as snail pellets containing metaldehyde, a poisonous substance.

Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters the poison can cause serious injury or death.

"We're just very thankful that the person who tasted the curry was aware of something that wasn't quite right," he said, according to the Seven Network.