Update, 5pm: Victoria Police are declining to reveal details of fruit contamination cases such is the extent of copycat crimes.
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A Victoria Police media liaison spokeswoman said she would not provide details about what happened at Hamilton’s Monivae College early Wednesday afternoon when it was reported to police that a needle was found in an apple.
“We’re not going into specifics other than to say there’s been cases of contaminated fruit at various locations,” she said.
Monivae College principal Mark McGinnity did not return calls.
Hamilton police officers were instructed to refer all inquiries to the Victoria Police media liaison unit.
UPDATE, 3pm: ALL media inquiries about a needle found in an apple at Hamilton's Monivae College have been referred to Victoria Police media liaison due to the large number of copycat incidents.
A police spokeswoman said there had been a number of incidents reported to police across Victoria on Wednesday relating to contaminated fruit.
She said anything to do with strawberries being contaminated was being referred to Queensland Police.
Any other fruit being contaminated is being handled by local police, in the particular area where it was reported.
Monivae College principal Mark McGinnity has been contacted for comment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said anyone caught tampering with food will face tougher new criminal penalties as part of the national response to the crisis affecting Australia's strawberry/fruit growers.
Condemning the recent contamination of strawberries as"shocking and cowardly", Mr Morrison said the government would increase from 10 to 15 years the maximum prison sentence for food tampering offences.
The new laws will be rapidly drafted and introduced to Federal Parliament this week.
Earlier: HAMILTON police have received a report of a needle in an apple at a local school.
A police spokeswoman said the complaint had been received and police officers were in the process of attending a secondary school in Hamilton.
“We don't have any more information. That’s the information we received. The job has been issued, but I’m not sure if police members have arrived or what they have found,” she said.
More to come.