A 63-year-old unemployed man has been arrested for allegedly contaminating bottled soft drinks with his own urine and placing them on supermarket shelves in a twisted revenge scheme against store staff.
The disturbing case came to light after a 9-year-old boy consumed one of the tainted beverages and required medical treatment.
Child hospitalized after drinking urine-contaminated Cola
The incident unfolded when the boy purchased a bottle of Coca-Cola Plus from a supermarket in West Kowloon, drank it, and immediately felt unwell. He was taken to Kwong Wah Hospital but has since recovered.
His mother later filed a complaint with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, prompting an investigation.
Supermarket staff conducting routine checks later discovered several more bottles of soft drinks—including Coca-Cola Plus and 7 Up -- that appeared tampered with. Tests confirmed the presence of urine in the beverages.
Revenge motive over "disrespectful" treatment
Police identified the suspect as a 63-year-old unemployed man surnamed Law, who lived alone in Sham Shui Po. Investigators believe he targeted supermarkets after a previous altercation with staff, whom he accused of being rude.
According to Senior Inspector Yau Yu-sing of the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit, the suspect allegedly opened the bottles, poured in his own urine, and resealed them before placing them back on shelves.
Officers raided Law’s home, seizing clothing, a backpack, a prepared bottle of urine, and several unopened drinks from the same batch.
Police: A despicable and dangerous act
The police force condemned the suspect’s actions as "not only a food safety violation but also a vile crime." While initial tests detected urine but no toxic substances, police stressed the serious public health risk.
The force said the suspect will be charged with offenses including administering poison with intent to injure and will appear in Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow.
Drugged drink cases are not new to Hong Kong. A former correctional services officer was accused of injecting sedatives into packaged drinks and placing them in convenience stores between July 1994 and February 1995.
The perpetrator mixed the drug into packaged lemon tea and placed it on the shelves. After the victim consumed the drink and the drug took effect, he would follow and rob them.
He committed over 20 such crimes before abducting a woman and attempting to extort HK$300,000, which led to his arrest.
The suspect was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
