20 Hospitalized In Germany After Eating Rat Poison In 'Gifted' Sandwiches

Twenty people were hospitalized in Germany after a box of sandwiches presented to them as a gift turned out to be laced with rat poison.

According to local police, 25 workers at a plastics company in Lower Saxony ate the sandwiches before someone noticed a strange substance on them. New York Daily News reports most of the workers were taken to the hospital after eating the sandwiches. The workers reportedly remain under observation at a local hospital. None of them have shown signs of poisoning, but they continue to be monitored because it is unknown how long might take for the poison to take effect.

"We don't believe the amount of poison used would have been deadly, but it could have caused serious illness," police spokesman Frank Soika said, according to the Associated Press.

The box of sandwiches was reportedly left on the doorstep of the company with a note saying they were a gift. It is unclear why the workers all chose to eat the sandwiches.

Leftovers are being flown to a specialist laboratory in Berlin where they will undergo testing.

The motive and identity of the person who gifted the poisoned box of sandwiches remains unclear.