The fifth department of the Investigative Committee’s Directorate based in the city of Novosibirsk continues the investigation in the death of people in Irkutsk after drinking some alcohol-containing substance (part 3 of Article 238 of the RF Penal Code – production, storage, selling of goods and products which do not meet safety standards entailing death of two or more people by negligence).
Investigators together with police officers have conducted investigative and search operations in one of districts in Irkutsk. They found a storehouse of methyl alcohol used to produce the toxic substance. The investigators confiscated more than 10 tons of the liquid and more than 6 tons of car windscreen wiper produced from it. In addition, all haw liqueur dealing channels have been revealed and blocked by now. The investigators have confiscated products made from methyl alcohol.
So far law enforcement authorities have registered 122 reports on methanol poisoning. 74 people died and 31 more are being treated in hospitals.
19 people have been detained under the investigation.
Additionally, sings of another crime – negligence have been found in the actions of the deputy head of the Irkutsk Region Office of Rospotrebnadzor (the federal consumer protection authority) Mikhail Luzhnov who is now suspected of a crime under Part 3 of Article 293 of the RF Penal Code. It has been revealed, that since May the Rospotrebnadzor’s regional office has received multiple reports on illegal sale of haw concentrate in Irkutsk Region and on the ban of retail selling of the said product. The investigators believe that Luzhnov failed to take necessary steps to check the said reports.
Additional investigative operations are underway in the Irkutsk Region Administration. Materials are being prepared for procedural decisions to be made against other officials of law enforcement authorities and inspectorates in the region. The investigation is ongoing.
Acting Head of Media Relations S.L. Petrenko
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