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Istanbul cracks down on counterfeit alcohol

More than 90 people have been hospitalised in Türkiye’s largest city so far this year after consuming drinks laced with methanol.

As of late last week, the outbreak of what is believed to be methanol poisoning, has killed at least 38 people and left 26 in intensive care units. It is estimated that 92 people were hospitalised in Istanbul.

A statement released by the Governor of Istanbul last week (16 January) announced a “series of additional measures” to tackle the problem of “counterfeit and illegal alcohol”.

The Turkish beverage most commonly adulterated with other ingredients, such as methanol, is the aniseed-flavoured spirit raki, which is usually made from the distillation of grape pomace.

One policy implemented by the city from 1 January is that establishments selling alcohol must have a camera system recording the premises in high definition 24/7, and the footage must be held onto for at least 30 days.

Businesses which do not adhere to these rules run the risk of losing their opening and operating licenses, and, since this latest mass poisoning, a number of arrests have been made.

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“Fifteen suspects who were found to have introduced large amounts of counterfeit alcohol into the market were detained,” the statement shared. “Four of the suspects were arrested by the court for the crime of ‘Deliberate Homicide’. The procedures for eight of the suspects are ongoing, and three of the suspects were released.”

The statement also claims that 64 businesses have been stripped of their licenses so far this year for selling counterfeit or smuggled alcohol, and 29 tonnes of illicit drinks seized since 1 January.

However, this strong stance on counterfeit alcohol from Istanbul’s governorate did not begin this year. The authorities claimed in mid-December 2024 that 77 people had been poisoned and 37 killed in the city from the beginning of November until that point. The governor’s office also shared that last year, more than 1,000 premises were inspected for “fake alcoholic beverages”, and 287,758 litres of liquid seized.

There are some who argue that Türkiye has such a big issue with counterfeit drinks because of the country’s increasingly high tax on alcohol, especially under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The tax on raki has risen by 2,500% since 2010, arguably making unregulated, cheaper alcohol a more appealing prospect, though one which comes with high risk.

Methanol-laced drinks is a problem which is rife across the globe. Late last year there was the case of contaminated alcohol killing at least six international tourists to Laos, including two 19-year-olds.

 

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