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17 Jun 2000
A recent attempt was made by extortionists in Australia to contaminate Panadol capsules with a poison called strychnine.
The Ministry of Health has been working closely with the local distributor of Panadol, Smith Kline Beecham (S) Pte Ltd (SKB) as well as our counterparts in Australia, to ascertain the safety of Panadol products in Singapore. SKB has confirmed that the tampering and contamination has occurred at the point of sale in Australia and the company has assured the Ministry that exports to Singapore are not affected in any way. SKB has also informed the Ministry that they have voluntarily stopped the import of this product for the time being.
To further reaffirm that there is no contamination, the Ministry has also sampled and tested batches of Panadol capsules imported since this year. Laboratory tests indicate no evidence of contamination by Strychnine. The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and assures the public that stocks of Panadol capsules in Singapore are free of contamination by strychnine.