Phony Jack Daniel’s Fatally Poisons 8 Russians
By Richard Thomas
An online fake whiskey scam has led to several deaths and further injuries in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. The victims apparently bought counterfeit Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey from an online vendor for the super low price of 250 to 300 roubles (roughly $4) a bottle. The seller claimed the liquor had been seized by customs and was being legally sold at knockdown prices.
In a story reminiscent of American Prohibition-era legends, the fake Jack Daniel’s contained methanol, a poisonous form of alcohol. Eight are reported dead from drinking the fake whiskey, and five more are listed in grave condition in the hospital. One of the five is believed to have been permanently blinded.
Two men have been arrested for selling 12 bottles of liquor in connection with the poisonous, phony whiskey. The police are investigating other sellers and the suppliers.
This lethal counterfeit whiskey scam comes after Russia targeted Jack Daniel’s imports as part of a tit-for-tat trade embargo with the West as the Ukrainian Crisis raged hot last year.
