Estonia to get tough on bootleg alcohol

The Estonian government has introduced measures to crack down harder on bootleg alcohol producers following the deaths of 59 …

The Estonian government has introduced measures to crack down harder on bootleg alcohol producers following the deaths of 59 people from moonshine poisoning in the southwest of the country.

Police arrested 12 people on suspicion of involvement in distributing the bootleg alcohol in the Parnu region of Estonia earlier this month.

Methyl alcohol, or methanol, is used for industrial purposes and is highly poisonous if drunk, causing blindness and death.

The government said on its website it had instructed all state institutions to boost the fight against illegal alcohol and ordered county, town and village administrations and police forces to exchange information on a regular basis to try to root out the sale of bootleg alcohol in their areas.

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Under the current law on alcohol, it said city and parish authorities already had to check alcohol distributors in their areas at least once a week.

Producing and smuggling bootleg alcohol has been rife in Estonia and other ex-Soviet states for years.