HEALTH MINISTRY, CUSTOMS DEPT TO CHECK LIQUOR SHOPS

They will inspect whether labels are genuine

THE Selangor police have intensified cooperation with various agencies in their investigations into the alcohol poisoning tragedy that has claimed 24 lives in the state since Sept 17.

Selangor police chief Datuk Mazlan Mansor said the Health Ministry and Customs Department will inspect liquor-stops that allegedly sold tainted liquor and check the authenticity of the liquor bottle labels.

“We have to check whether the labels are authentic or fake.

“Most of these liquor bottles have no Customs label.

“We are investigating who the supplier is and whether the liquor came from the same source.

“So far, we have no lead on this.

“The investigation will certainly fall under Section 304 (b) of the Penal Code because the perpetrator ’s action has claimed many lives,” Mazlan said after the monthly assembly at the state contingent headquarters here yesterday.

He said so far, the police had detained 15 traders and workers of liquor outlets, comprising eight Malaysians and seven foreigners aged between 20 and 30 in 17 raids in Shah Alam, Gombak, Sungai Buloh, Kajang and southern Klang.

He said 1,480 bottles of liquor and 1,670 cans of various brands of beer were seized in the raids.

“The death toll remains at 24 in Selangor.

“Seventeen more are undergoing treatment while 17 others had been discharged from hospitals.

“We have yet to receive the official post-mortem reports from the hospitals and Chemistry Department,” he said.

Since Sept 17, toxic alcohol poisoning had claimed more than 30 lives in the Klang Valley, Perak and Negri Sembilan.