Article published on October 19th, 1984.

HEADLINE: EXTORTIONISTS WANTS $400,000 TO END CANDY POISONINGS

TOKYO (AP) - Japanese parents are declaring neighborhood candy stores off limits to their children as extortionists broaden their cyanide candy scare to force a manufacturer to pay them $400,00. Until now, the extortionists have always put clear warnings on the poisoned candy packages they surreptitiously slipped onto store shelves. However, they have stepped up their campaign against the manufacturer, Morinaga and Co., with a threat to put cyanide-laced candy on store shelves this week with no warnings on packages.

More than 44,000 policemen patrolled super- markets and candy stores across the nation today, and thousands of Morinaga employees and their families have been combing stores in the Osaka area for suspicious-looking candy boxes. Thousands of stores nationwide already have removed Morinaga products from their shelves.

Morinaga became the target of the extortionists in mid-September.

No one is known to have been harmed so far.