Ex-Police Officer Among 583 Suspects Arrested Amid Series of Counterfeit Liquor Raids
583 people have been arrested in Kenya over counterfeit liquor suspicions. (Photo: Armin Weigel/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
The Star reported on Tuesday that a series of raids in Murang’a, Kenya, have led to the arrest of 583 people suspected to be involved in a counterfeit liquor operation. Among the arrested is a former police officer.
The outlet reports that “hundreds of liters of ethanol” were seized by authorities in addition to 956 rolls of bhang. According to Healthline, Bhang is a paste made from the Cannabis plant.
The raids began two weeks ago, and local authorities claim that of the 583 arrested, 270 have been convicted.
“We have studied the modus operandi of the suspects and we have also learnt our weaknesses, and they are being assessed,” County Commissioner Joshua Nkantha said, according to The Star.
The raid began in early February, when local authorities raided a home where fake alcohol was being made. Two suspects were arrested at the time — including the individual who was formerly a member of law enforcement.
According to The Star, 41 bars selling illegal liquor have been shut down.
Although Kenya does not enforce prohibition, alcohol is regulated within the country, thanks to the “Alcoholics Drinks Act,” which was passed in 2010, according to Movendi International.
Movendi International reported that since the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have been privately selling alcohol out of their homes, despite it being illegal within the country.
Consuming Counterfeit Liquor is Highly Risky
Consuming counterfeit liquor can lead to terrible repercussions. In early January, Gin Raiders reported that three people died and 20 were hospitalized after imbibing counterfeit booze in Azerbaijan.
In July, 14 people died and an additional 120 people suffered symptoms of alcohol poisoning after consuming counterfeit liquor in Iran. Iran currently enforces prohibition, yet still has relatively high rates of alcoholism in the country.
Sometimes, bootleg alcohol can be tainted with methanol. In October 2021, methanol-tainted liquor killed 34 people in southern Urals. Urals is a Russian region that is near Kazakhstan.
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