More than 10 people have died from moonshine poisoning in the Leningrad Region. A kindergarten worker produced the deadly imitation.
Twelve people have died in the past three days from poisoning by counterfeit alcohol in the Leningrad Region.
All of the poisoned individuals were residents of the town of Slantsy and the neighboring village of Gostisty. Suspects in the production and sale of counterfeit alcohol have been detained: a 79-year-old pensioner (according to other sources, he was 75 or 78 years old) and a 60-year-old kindergarten worker, who may have produced the counterfeit alcohol.
The bootlegger/pensioner has already been fined for selling counterfeit alcohol.
According to preliminary reports, a 54-year-old resident of Gostisty was the first person to be hospitalized for poisoning on September 24. He was hospitalized and died two hours later. That same evening, a 69-year-old man died in the village, and the bodies of a 42-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman were found in a nearby house.
On Thursday, September 25, another man and his neighbor, both 46, were found dead in the same village. That same day, a 60-year-old woman died in Slantsy, and her 39-year-old son was hospitalized.
Two more victims from Gostisty were admitted to hospital in serious condition. It was later reported that those hospitalized had died, bringing the death toll to 12. Among the victims was the 75-year-old wife of a suspect in the production of counterfeit moonshine. In their home, criminal investigators found empty glass bottles and plastic canisters up to 10 liters each with a distinctive alcoholic odor.
The moonshine may have been produced by a kindergarten worker
The 79-year-old pensioner most likely sold the alcohol to local residents. According to 47news, he was fined five years ago for selling bootleg alcohol. The supplier of the counterfeit alcohol may have been a 60-year-old special education teacher and employee of a kindergarten in Slantsy. She has also been detained. The arrest was confirmed by Irina Volk, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The bootlegger's neighbor confirmed that three people died in their building alone—all of them had bought the neighbor's alcohol. She said he had been distilling moonshine and selling it since the 1990s, buying the alcohol and "making his own concoction."
The woman may have supplied the bootleg alcohol to a pensioner, who bottled and sold it. The moonshine may have been distilled by the kindergarten worker.
The 79-year-old pensioner most likely sold the alcohol to local residents. According to 47news, he was previously fined five years ago for selling counterfeit alcohol. The supplier of the counterfeit alcohol may have been a 60-year-old special education teacher and employee of a kindergarten in Slantsy. She has also been detained. The arrest was confirmed by Irina Volk, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The bootlegger's neighbor confirmed that three people died in their building alone—all of them had bought the product of their neighbor's alcohol producer. She said he had been distilling moonshine and selling it since the 1990s, buying the alcohol and "making his own concoction."
The woman may have supplied the counterfeit alcohol to a pensioner, who bottled and sold it. The Leningrad Region prosecutor has placed the situation under special scrutiny. A criminal case has been opened under the article "Causing death by negligence to two or more persons." The question of whether to remand those arrested is being decided.
