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In Sverdlovsk Region, three local citizens charged with selling goods and products not meeting safety requirements

The Sverdlovsk Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia pressed charges against three officially unemployed local residents born in 1982, 1978 and 1967 for committing crimes under Part 3 Article 238 of the Criminal Code (sale of goods and products that do not meet safety requirements for life or health of consumers, resulting in death of two or more individuals through negligence). The punishment for this crime is up to 10 years imprisonment.

According to investigators, the mentioned suspects were involved in the sale to citizens of alcoholic liquids (methyl alcohol) posing danger to life and health of consumers from October 7 to 14, 2021 in one of the markets of Yekaterinburg.  According to the materials of the criminal case, the total number of deaths from the use of this liquid has now reached 24 people.

Taking into account the nature and specific circumstances of the crime, the Investigative Committee of Russia petitioned the court for a preventive measure in the form of detention. The court, having considered the materials submitted by the Investigative Committee, remanded the defendants in custody for two months, up to and including December 15, 2021.

The employees of the Sverdlovsk Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia and the police continue active measures to collect and consolidate evidence, to determine the exact number of victims and those who died from the use of the above-mentioned alcoholic beverages. Measures are also being taken to identify and arrest a number of other possible accomplices to the crime. Several inspections of the scene have been conducted, a number of witnesses have been questioned, and confrontations have been conducted. In addition, searches have been conducted, during which objects and documents of relevance for the investigation were seized, and the necessary expertise has been appointed for them. The investigation will also necessarily establish the causes and conditions that contributed to the tragedy, and a set of measures will be taken to prevent such circumstances in the future. The investigation is supervised by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia.