According to a report by The Indian Times on August 21, police reported that there were cases of alcohol poisoning in the state of Gujarat in India where a liquor ban has been implemented. Nine people have died, and about 25 people are in critical condition.
The police have released photos of the involved bottles and labels, demanding that anyone who possesses a bottle with the batch number 8901522000665 immediately destroy it. The notice states: "Anyone who has consumed alcohol labeled with the same label should go to the nearest hospital for a medical examination."
The case has now been transferred to the State Monitoring Bureau for handling. The bureau is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the production and distribution chain of this batch of fake alcohol.
According to the Bureau of Customs and Surveillance, the investigation team has so far apprehended 14 suspects involved in this counterfeit and illegal sales syndicate. The police have seized a large number of counterfeit wine bottles, as well as various materials used for making fake wine, including chemical agents, colorants, labels, caps, entire rolls of adhesive labels, and cardboard packaging. Police say that the suspects used raw materials such as ethanol and methanol to manufacture fake wine at a residence in the area, and they filled the fake wine into bottles of well-known brands and sold it. The police are investigating the sources of the counterfeit materials, wine bottles, labels, and packaging equipment.
Investigators have found that some of the materials involved were purchased by transporters from various parts of the country. Several teams working on the case have been sent to several locations in Gujarat and other states to track the fugitives and investigate new individuals involved during the investigation process.
Gujarat has a prohibition policy on alcohol, and the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol are strictly regulated. Cases of death caused by fake alcohol occur frequently in the region.
Indian media believe that this incident exposes the real challenges faced by India's liquor control authorities in regulating private alcohol sales. Most local drinkers can only obtain alcohol through illegal channels. The police stated that licensed personnel purchase legal alcohol from officially licensed stores, and the batches of alcohol they use are completely different.
India's states and cities have different policies regarding alcohol consumption. According to a previous report by the Wall Street Journal, the alcohol prohibition tradition in Gujarat stems from Mahatma Gandhi’s strong belief in self-discipline. However, this also reflects India’s complex history with alcohol. According to the constitution, complete alcohol prohibition is India’s ultimate goal, “except for medicinal purposes.” For many states, alcohol taxes remain a significant source of income.
Those who have obtained the “Health Permit” can purchase alcohol. This permit is issued to residents aged 40 and above who can prove that they need alcohol for medical treatment for certain illnesses.
In India, hundreds of people die each year from drinking cheap homemade alcohol. In 1992, a case of poisoning by fake alcohol occurred in Orissa, resulting in the death of over 200 people. This was one of the most devastating cases of poisoning by fake alcohol in Indian history. In May this year, 21 people died after drinking homemade inferior alcohol in Maharashtra.
