By Ferdi Uzun and Ugur Ulu
AYDIN/BURSA, Turkey (AA) – Turkish security forces seized more than 1,170 liters of bootleg alcohol in operations Thursday.
Following the recent poisoning of three people from bootleg alcohol in Bursa province, security forces arrested five people for alleged links to counterfeit alcohol distribution.
In a search conducted at a cargo office, a huge amount of counterfeit alcohol was seized.
In a separate operation in Kusadasi district in Aydin province, provincial gendarme teams seized 170 liters of ethyl alcohol and 447 bottles of counterfeit liquor.
The operation was conducted after three people were hospitalized after consuming bootleg alcohol.
Turkey has cracked down on bootleg liquor production after at least 92 people in the country died of alcohol poisoning in the last 70 days, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.
Bootleg alcohol is made using low-cost methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol, which causes serious harm to human health and even death.
*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk