A authorized this Wednesday (8) the destruction of 100 thousand bottles of drinks seized in inspections carried out after the first cases of poisoning by registered in the State. The Court of Justice’s decision responded to a request from the task force coordinated by the state government. The bottles, according to the government, were collected in operations launched in recent weeks after the confirmation of deaths and hospitalizations caused by the consumption of adulterated drinks. The measure aims to prevent the material from returning to the market.
According to the Criminalistics Institute of the Scientific Police of São Paulo, analyzes indicated that methanol was intentionally added in the irregular process of manufacturing the drinks, and did not result from natural distillation.
The report reinforces the suspicion of clandestine production and use of toxic substances for adulteration. Since the beginning of the investigations, the task force has already carried out 21 arrests and 11 closures of establishments in different regions of the State. One of the hypotheses analyzed is the reuse of bottles washed and refilled with contaminated liquids. The destruction of the seized drinks, requested by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, marks a new stage in the fight against illegal production. Authorities say the focus now is on identifying and holding accountable those responsible for adding methanol in irregular manufacturing.
