Albanian mafia are smuggling lethal booze to party isle where Brit girl, 20, was blinded by shots

The fake booze – often known as “Bulgarian Europe.

It is sold in and poured from legitimatelooking bottles which appear completely legal to holidaymakers.

But unlike alcohol fit for human consumption, methanol is a highly-toxic industrial substance and is used in anti-freeze, paint thinner, nailpolish remover and some fuels.

Rogue bar owners across Greece have previously been known to use methanol – also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol – as an alcohol substitute to hide when drinks have been watered down.

The clear fluid provides the same buzz as alcohol and is a lot cheaper.

But consumption of as little as four millilitres can cause permanent blindness when it attacks the optical nerve.

Other effects can include brain damage and speech and memory problems.

Speaking about the escalating problem, our whistleblower said: “In the last three or four years following the financial crisis here in Greece the Albanian Mafia have taken control of large parts of the island, including the supply line to some of the tourist bars as well as the drugs trade and prostitution here.

“They do not care about people or the human cost of what they do.

“All they are concerned about is making money and doing so as quickly as possible.

“About five years ago the price of most spirits in the tourist bars here was around six euros.

“Then after the Albanian mafia moved in and began offering the cheap alcohol to the bars, the price of drinks began going down.

“Other bars were forced to lower their prices and buy from them as well so that they could compete financially. “The same drink that used to cost six euros now costs around two euros.” The bar worker added: “The bars are able to get away with it because a lot of the visitors don’t know or care what it is they’re drinking. “They just ask for the strongest drink they can buy as t their only priority is getting as drunk as p possible. “I unde understand it is not the customers’ fault if th there is methanol in their drink as they ar are only trying to have a good time. ““ButBut I see especially British girls com coming here and spending three to four hundred Euros on alcohola in a week and only abouta 20 Euros on food. “It’s unsurprising they get ill.” As revealed in last week’s Sunday People, 20- year- old HannahH Powell, from North Ormesby, Teesside, suffered acute kidney failure and blindness in both eyes after suffering suspected methanol poisoning during her trip to the island.

She was airlifted back to Britain by air ambulance earlier this week.

She is now trying to recover at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she is struggling to regain her sight.

Bad

Medical administrator Ioannis Papadopoulos works at the emergency treatment centre at the island’s largest resort Laganas where Hannah was first treated after falling ill.

He said: “We have heard Hannah is getting better. We all hope so and she has the best wishes of everyone here.

“As with everything you have good people and bad people in all walks of life, whether it be taxi drivers, restaurant owners or bar owners.

“There are hard-working honest people here all trying to make a living, but the problem is if someone does something bad and tries to