Liquor stores raided, seven held

Seized goods taken from stores sent for lab testing

SHAH ALAM: Seven people have been arrested in the aftermath of a mass alcohol poisoning that claimed 21 lives.

The two Malaysians and five foreign nationals are operators and workers of liquor stores selling the three brands of alcohol consumed by the victims.

They were nabbed in 12 police raids in the Klang Valley, said Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Mazlan Mansor.

Also seized were 1,030 bottles of whiskey and 1,766 cans of beer.

A number of the shops had already closed before the police arrived, Comm Mazlan said, adding that this led police to believe the operators got worried following the alcohol poisoning.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, he said it was still too early to tell if the seized alcohol had indeed been tainted or altered.

“Samples have been sent for laboratory tests.

“I can’t say anything further until the lab results come.

“But our preliminary investigations showed that these brands had been identified as those that led to the victims being hospitalised,” Comm Mazlan said.

He did not discount the possibility of a common supplier of the alcoholic products.

“It’s possible; they all have the same bottles and labels,” he said.

Police have reclassified the case from sudden death to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which comes under Section 304 of the Penal Code.

Those with information on the poisoning are urged to contact the nearest police station.

On Tuesday, a Health Ministry statement revealed that 19 men, who had a history of drinking compounded hard liquor, died after downing three brands of alcohol purchased from different shops in the Klang Valley on Monday.

In a related case, Shah Alam police arrested two men for selling illegal alcohol worth RM10,000.

The arrests were made under Ops Methanol.

Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Baharuddin Mat Taib said consumers should be cautious and not purchase goods from unlicensed shops.