Advertisement

Batch of deadly, illegal vodka seized in North Rhine-Westphalia

Julius Haswell
Julius Haswell - [email protected]
Batch of deadly, illegal vodka seized in North Rhine-Westphalia
Photo: Umwelt.nrw

Bottles of unlicensed "Diamond Vodka" have been found to have potentially deadly levels of methanol in them. Authorities have warned people not to drink from the bottles, and to go to hospital immediately if they feel any symptoms.

Advertisement

A potentially deadly vodka, also reported to make you blind, has been found to be in circulation in North Rhine-Westphalia. The vodka has been found to have 15 grams of methanol per litre in it, 400 times over the legal limit.

350 bottles have already been sold on the black market since October 2016, however the authorities say that for this reason they have no idea who has bought the dangerous drink.

When investigators searched the apartment of one of the men selling the illegal drink, they discovered over 1,000 yet unsold bottles being stored.

In December 2016 the customs' investigation office in Münster filed criminal preliminary proceedings against two men, 48 and 60, from Duisburg. They were accused of tax evasion and receiving profits on untaxed goods.

The department for the environment and consumer protection in North Rhine-Westphalia has detailed the symptoms in a recent press release. Fatigue, head aches, and nausea are known symptoms, but these can very quickly develop to become serious.

They recommend to anybody who has drunk the vodka recently that they should go to hospital straight away if they notice the symptoms. The press release said that "whether you're drunk or possibly have methanol poisoning, only a doctor can know for sure."

Correction: This article initially stated the vodka contained menthol. It actually contains methanol!

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also