Many cases of deadly poisoning from bootleg alcohol have been reported in several Russian regions.
Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said on December 1 that "dozens have been killed or hospitalized" after consuming fake alcoholic beverages in the Russian regions of Krasnoyarsk, Chuvashia, Orenburg, Kursk, Kaluga, and Moscow in recent days.
Markin did not give an exact number of people who have been poisoned with methanol after drinking the phony alcohol, but added that the death toll was rising.
Investigations have been launched into the poisoning cases in the affected regions.
Officials in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk said on November 30 that six suspected sellers of tainted alcohol were arrested after 11 locals died after recently drinking fake Jack Daniel's whiskey.