Warns the Russians after giant seizures

The customs officers found 300 three-liter cartons of fake vodka.

Wednesday 24 April at 14:09

The short version

• The customs agency recently seized 900 liters of fake vodka in the Larvik area
• Fake alcohol may contain methanol, which is highly toxic even in small doses
• Previous examples of deaths due to fake alcohol
• The customs agency warns Russians in particular against buying cheap alcohol from illegal outlets
• The seizure is being investigated by the police, and the fake alcohol will be destroyed

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The customs agency recently seized a total of 900 liters of fake vodka. The seizure was made in the Larvik area.

Vigilant customs officers took out an Eastern European registered car for inspection.

Inside the cargo hold, behind other goods, 55 cardboard boxes were found. The boxes contained 300 three-litre cartons of vodka.

– The spirits were quickly verified by the producers as fake. It is not possible for people to look for specific characteristics on the bottles or cartons to detect fake liquor, as the characteristics change all the time, says customs director Øystein Børmer.

Gambling

He says that buying fake alcohol is gambling with your own life and health.

– The bottles or cartons can have labels and be corked and sealed. The content often appears genuine and safe, but in reality poses a health risk, says Børmer.

The customs authority wants to warn Russia after the seizure. Fake alcohol may contain methanol, which can be highly toxic, even in small doses.

Dangerous

This can lead to death, which has been seen in examples in the past. Børmer warns the Russians after the giant seizure.

– Now the Russian era is just around the corner. We know that a lot of alcohol is consumed among young people. Many people buy alcohol from illegal outlets because it is cheap. Saving a few kroner is in no way worth risking your own life and health for, says the director of customs.

The customs agency regularly seizes fake alcohol, fake labels and bottles. They have previously uncovered original bottles containing other alcohol.

– Anyone who buys liquor outside of legal outlets can run the risk that the liquor is fake. If you drink something you don’t know what it contains or under what conditions it was produced, you are gambling with your own life and health. If you are lucky, the only consequence is that you have bought a fake product, i.e. alcohol of low quality, which was the case in this case.

The case is now being investigated by the police. The counterfeit alcohol will be destroyed once the case has been investigated.