KANAGAWA (TR) – Police here have arrested a 34-year-old Japanese firefighter working at a U.S. Army base for allegedly poisoning a colleague’s food with a toxic chemical found in car antifreeze, reports Fuji News Network (May 27).
Riichiro Ikoma, an employee at Camp Zama, is accused of lacing a 60-year-old male colleague’s miso soup and other items with ethylene glycol.
The tampering allegedly occurred on four separate occasions between April 1 and April 12.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of causing property damage, Ikoma refused to answer questions regarding the allegations, telling investigators, “I will remain silent.”
According to police, the victim began noticing a strange taste in his miso soup roughly two years ago. After the man finally consulted with law enforcement, investigators analyzed the tainted soup and detected the chemical, which is commonly used as an engine coolant.
Investigators zeroed in on Ikoma after uncovering an ongoing feud between the two men. Police also noted that the foul-tasting incidents exclusively occurred on days when Ikoma was rostered on duty.
