The crime is punishable by as much as 14 years in prison, Bush said.
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The arrest comes after five search warrants were carried out in Auckland and Rangitikei this morning.
The arrest came after dairy exporter Fonterra and advocacy group Federated Farmers said they received letters in November that threatened to lace infant formula with sodium fluoroacetate, a poison commonly called 1080, unless conservation authorities stopped using it to kill rodents and other pests by March.
Commissioner Bush concluded saying, “Today’s development sends a clear message that we will use all necessary resources at our disposal to investigate such threats, no matter how long it takes to bring threats of this nature to a conclusion”.
The total cost of the investigation, known as Operation Concord, is over $3 million so far.
Dunne said 150,000 batches of a range of infant formula products had been tested under a new regime introduced after the threat.
Federated Farmers dairy spokesman Andrew Hoggard said the arrest was good news.
“We’ve done everything to ensure that the public weren’t in danger throughout our investigation”.
Prime Minister John Key said yesterday the threat had been extremely serious, despite the remote risk that it would be carried out.
A businessman’s threat to poison infant formula with 1080 if the pesticide was not banned was motivated by financial gain, the charge sheet states.
Traditional investigation methods were combined with testing of samples, as well as “innovative and new techniques”.
The investigation team considered 2,600 people during its inquiries, with more than 60 persons of interest approached for interview.
Police and New Zealand’s agricultural industry have stressed that the country’s dairy products and infant formula are safe.
“Fonterra is pleased to hear that an arrest has been made as part of the investigation into the criminal blackmail threat made public in March this year,” said Theo Spierings, CEO, Fonterra.
“Particular credit should go to the people of New Zealand and elsewhere who reacted to the threat in a measured and considered way”.
“We’d also like to acknowledge the significant joint industry response to this threat”.
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“Today’s arrest is the result of dedicated investigative work over many months”.
