Bootleg alcohol claims lives of at least 30 people in Istanbul while dozens are hospitalized

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — At least 30 people have died in Istanbul over the past three days after drinking bootleg alcohol, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Thursday, as authorities intensified a crackdown on counterfeit drinks.

The dead were among some 80 people who sought treatment in hospitals around Istanbul, Anadolu Agency reported. At least 31 patients were in intensive care units.

Deaths from counterfeit alcohol has become increasingly frequent in Turkey, where the prices of alcoholic beverages continue to rise. Many people, confronted with ever-increasing costs, resort to cheaper alternatives or homemade spirits, increasing the risk of poisoning from toxic substances.

A combination of soaring inflation and government taxes has driven beverage prices to all-time highs.

On Wednesday, six people were detained for allegedly selling the counterfeit drinks while two other suspects were charged with “deliberate murder,” the Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement.

Authorities also seized 29 tons of bootleg alcohol in raids around Istanbul since Jan. 1 and revoked the licenses of 64 businesses for allegedly selling counterfeit or smuggled alcohol, according to the statement.

“We consider those who cause the death of dozens of our citizens by producing or selling fake alcohol to be no different from the terrorists who kill people,” the statement said. “Our fight against the scoundrels who attempt to kill our people for material gains will continue unabated.”

The British Foreign Office recently issued an advisory for British tourists traveling to Turkey, warning them of the rise in deaths from counterfeit alcohol.