At least 41 people have died in northwestern Russia’s Leningrad region after consuming bootleg alcohol containing lethal amounts of methanol, the RBC news website reported Friday, citing law enforcement sources.
The spate of poisonings since Sept. 24 marks one of the deadliest mass poisonings in recent years linked to Russia’s pervasive black market for alcohol.
The victims reportedly lived or were registered across six districts across the southwest, center and northeast of the Leningrad region.
Regional prosecutors said 14 people have been arrested in connection with three criminal cases that have been placed under “special control.”
Those arrested include small-scale sellers and intermediaries accused of storing and reselling the counterfeit liquor. A 54-year-old man has been identified as a key organizer, prosecutors said.
Courts have approved multiple requests to place suspects in pre-trial detention. Authorities believe the alcohol was sourced from a warehouse in the Tosno district and distributed through illicit storage sites to local markets, where they were sold without licenses.
More than 5,000 liters of alcohol-containing liquid have been seized from warehouses and distributors, prosecutors said.
Inspections have also extended to companies contracted by the government to dispose of confiscated alcohol.
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