By Ebi Kesiena
Seven people have died after consuming adulterated alcohol in Meknes, central Morocco, Moroccan news agency reports.
Although, police source in the city of Meknes noted that two suspects have been arrested in relation to the death, an inquiry has also been initiated to determine the cause of the death after consuming contaminated alcohol suspected of being obtained from a grocery store.
According to sources, investigations led to the arrest of a 67-year-old shopkeeper and his 17-year-old apprentice, who was accused of owning and selling contaminated alcoholic beverages that killed customers.
The authorities also seized around ten empty bottles containing medicinal alcohol “which caused the victims’ deaths.”
This is not the first time something like this has happened in Morocco, but also in Tunisia and Algeria.
Last September, 19 people died after drinking tainted beer in Ksar El Kebir, a town in the kingdom’s north. Around twenty individuals died in Oujda, Morocco, in July 2021 after drinking contaminated beer.
In principle, Moroccan law forbids the selling of alcohol to Muslims, who constitute 99% of Morocco’s population and are the national religion.
However, alcohol is widely available in pubs, restaurants, and licensed businesses that sell it behind opaque glass or heavy curtains.
