An individual working as a nursery teacher has been apprehended following the deaths of 19 individuals caused by the consumption of counterfeit vodka. Another victim remains in critical condition in a hospital.
Olga Stepanova, aged 60, is currently under scrutiny for her involvement in the distribution of fake alcohol, as per the authorities in the Leningrad region of Russia. She is accused of supplying moonshine to Nikolai Boytsov, aged 78, who then sold the illicit vodka for 90 pence per bottle.
Both individuals have been taken into custody by local law enforcement. Boytsov is facing allegations of poisoning his 75-year-old wife with the fraudulent alcohol.
The prevalence of ‘bootleg’ spirits has been on the rise in Russia, particularly among the elderly population, due to escalating alcohol prices attributed to the ongoing conflict. According to Interior Ministry spokeswoman Maj-Gen Irina Volk, security forces have detained a resident of Gostisti for purportedly vending a liquid containing alcohol.
Subsequently, it was disclosed that two individuals have been arrested. The current death toll associated with the counterfeit vodka stands at 19, with one individual in critical condition in the hospital.
Reports from Russian media outlet Ostorozhno Novosti have revealed the presence of methanol in the blood of eight of the deceased victims. Authorities are conducting further investigations into the sudden deaths of others.
Detailing the harrowing impact on one victim, Telegram channel Topor narrated, “Yuri Spiridonov, aged 54, pleaded for help to his wife before succumbing to the effects of the poisoned alcohol. Shortly after, he passed away, followed by another individual on the same night, with a dozen more deaths to follow.”
A total of 19 fatalities have been confirmed, with one individual receiving intensive care. Boytsov had previously faced accusations of engaging in illicit trading.
In a separate incident in August, over a dozen tourists tragically lost their lives due to methanol poisoning after unknowingly purchasing counterfeit alcohol at a popular resort in Russia. The tourists had visited Sochi, a favored destination of Vladimir Putin.
One victim reportedly experienced blindness and kidney failure after consuming fake Chacha, a potent clear brandy, while two female tourists passed away from methanol poisoning upon returning home.
Two individuals identified only as Olesya, aged 31, and Eteri, aged 71, were later brought to a Sochi court on suspicion of distributing the counterfeit alcohol. At that time, the Russian Interior Ministry issued a urgent advisory warning against consuming “alcohol-containing products of unknown origin.”
