HAVÍŘOV — 2012 · Major Tragedy
The Czech Methanol Scandal
In September 2012 counterfeit spirits laced with methanol to boost profits reached the Czech market. The poisonings began mainly in the Moravian-Silesian region in the east, around Havířov and Ostrava; around 50 people died, and some survivors were left with permanent damage such as blindness. The government temporarily banned the sale of hard liquor. Police charged 61 people, the largest number of defendants in Czech criminal history. In 2014 the two men who produced the toxic mixture were sentenced to life imprisonment, while the main distributor, who helped police unravel the network, received 15 years.
- Date
- 2012
- Place
- Moravian-Silesian Region, Czechia, Havířov, CZ
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 49.7800, 18.4300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- September 2012Methanol poisonings appeared in the Moravian-Silesian region.
- September 2012The government temporarily banned hard-liquor sales.
- 2012-2013Police charged 61 people.
- 2014The producers got life; the main distributor got 15 years.
- 2022Victims were remembered on the tenth anniversary.
Sources
- Radio Prague International — Life sentences handed out in methanol scandal verdicts english.radio.cz ↗
- Radio Prague International — Ten years since the methanol scandal english.radio.cz ↗
- Wikipedia — 2012 Czech Republic methanol poisonings en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Radio Prague International
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.