Man Indicted for Tampering with Baby Food with Sedatives

Yan Shamla, a 41-year-old resident of Beersheba, has been indicted on charges of introducing sedatives into baby fruit purees sold at "Zol U'vGadol" supermarket branches in Jerusalem. The indictment, filed in the Jerusalem District Court, accuses Shamla of five counts of assaulting a minor or helpless person, using dangerous poison, and theft. The alleged incidents involved Shamla inserting the drugs Clonex, Lorivan, and Asival into "Prinoq" brand baby food products and then returning the jars to the supermarket shelves. Shamla reportedly confessed to the second incident, which occurred in June, according to the police's request for his detention until the end of proceedings. Security camera footage and Shamla's phone location data also reportedly corroborated his involvement in the June incident.

Last week, police announced a statement of prosecution had been filed against Shamla and released footage of him walking in one of the branches. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) was involved in the investigation, which included analyzing security footage from various locations, conducting further investigative actions, and employing advanced technological means. Kan News reported last week that Shamla had introduced sedatives into the purees and returned them to shelves, but his motive remains unclear. However, Kan News also reported that the suspicion of a nationalistic motive has weakened due to Shamla being Jewish.

The Knesset Health Committee has discussed the case of the Prinoq purees containing sedatives. The police had previously reported to the Ministry of Health in May about the contaminated Prinoq products.