Turkey gives 90 year sentences in fake alcohol death case

A Turkish court has sentenced four men to nearly 90 year jail terms for lethally poisoning five Russian tourists with bootleg alcohol.

The court found the men guilty of manslaughter for their part in a counterfeit alcohol operation that killed five and hospitalised 10s more in the Turkish resort town of Bodrum in 2011. Blood sample analysis revealed high levels of methanol, which is commonly used in bootleg alcohol.

Searches of vessels owned by a yachting company uncovered 200 bottles of counterfeit drinks. This led to charging four men with manslaughter. Another three people were sentenced to seven years in jail for their role in the operation, the AFP reports.

Turkey tried to tighten up measures against counterfeit booze in the wake of the 2011 poisoning, which followed similar incidents in 2009 and 2005. The high taxes imposed on alcohol in Turkey have made counterfeiting of drinks a potentially lucrative business.