Australia strawberry needle scare: 50-year-old woman arrested

After the discovery of punnets of strawberries contaminated with needles, Queensland authorities notified the public of the safety risk on Sept 12.

The QPS coordinated a national investigative response with multiple government, law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

A police taskforce was established with officers from the State Crime Command coordinating the investigation together with detectives in a number of police districts in Queensland, the police said in a statement.

"A 50-year-old woman was arrested this afternoon and has been charged with seven counts contamination of goods under Section 238 Criminal Code, which has a three year maximum penalty. In addition, a circumstance of aggravation will be alleged, elevating the maximum to 10 years imprisonment," read the statement.

She is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.

Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker from the Drug and Serious Crime Group said investigators were always determined to solve the case.

“This is a major and unprecedented police investigation with a lot of complexities involved,” Superintendent Wacker said.

“The Queensland Police Service has allocated a significant amount of resources to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

“While the investigation is far from over, I would like to acknowledge the tireless effort of our investigators as well as members from all other agencies across Australia who played a role.

“I would also like to thank those within the strawberry industry for their cooperation and members of the public who assisted us with our inquiries.”