“Illegal Alcohol”

(By Valon Syla)

Slug: Last week police discovered and closed down an underground laboratory in Pristina producing counterfeit alcohol with ethanol. The discovery is just the latest in ethanol seizures in Kosovo, pointing to an increasing trend of counterfeit alcohol in the Kosovan market and untold dangers for consumers.

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Five people were arrested in Prishtina last week suspected of commercially producing illegal and dangerous alcoholic beverages, reports UNMIK police. The overriding concern is that these counterfeit products are still available in shops and café-bars of Prishtina. According to UNMIK police investigations the illegal drinks were aimed mainly for the Prishtina market. Derek Chappell is the spokesman of UNMIK Police:

CUT 1 Derek Chappell – “On the 11^th of February a number of searches were carried in several locations in Prishtina and on 13^th of February police located a laboratory in Prishtina that was equipped for production of alcoholic drinks. The laboratory and the equipment has been seized and the alcohol is forensically in examination.”

The forensic examination is still ongoing and UNMIK police spokesman Chappell says law enforcement officials cannot ascertain whether or not the ethanol-based alcohol is dangerous or safe for consumption:

CUT 2 Derek Chappell – “We are in a difficult position here because we don’t want to cause panic. We don’t want to damage the businesses of many people in corner shops who are involved in selling products that may and may not be legal, or may and may not be dangerous. In most places there is the system for inspection of food products and alcohol to make sure that what the public buys is safe. That is not a police function that’s a public health function. I must admit I’m not certain if there is such an agency in Kosovo that inspects alcohol for public sale.”

Kosovo does have a National Public Health Institution and other inspection agencies to guarantee quality control of food and beverages in the hospitality sector… but according to Din, a waiter at the Times-Bar in Prishtina, the inspection agencies usually don’t monitor the alcohol and other beverages served:

CUT 3 Dini – “I think that the inspectors are employed, but when they come for routine control they don’t check the drinks for its quality and neither for its expiry date.”

Part of the blame for counterfeit alcohol sold in bars, shops and cafes can be placed on the mangers and owners of the establishments and not just the health inspectors, says Din

According to Din, the illegal and counterfeit drinks are sold much more cheaply than the originals. Din adds that professional bartenders can distinguish the counterfeit alcohol almost immediately when they encounter the product. Even so, counterfeiting continues, says Din:

CUT 4 Dini – “I think Ballatine’s and Johnny Walker whiskey together with other colored drinks are the most common counterfeit alcohol. But the non colored drinks like Vodka and Gin are harder to detect as fake.”

What bartenders have now started to call the “Fake alcohol affair,” is now having a negative impact on the hospitality industry. Liridon, a café-bar owner in Pristina, says consumers are changing their drinking habits and not spending as much money as they once did:

CUT 5 Liridon – “I have noticed a paranoia in my clients, some of them used to drink Vodka and Gin and they stopped after the arrests and are now drinking Peja Beer… it seems that they have more confidence in that product. I have noticed also that non colored alcohol is not consumed very much lately…”

Five years ago, Serbia had a similar “Fake alcohol affair” which ended in the death of 43 people- all poisoned when they drank what they though was the traditional grape brandy “Zhivadinoviq”.

Instead of using grapes, the manufacturer contracted to make the famed “Zhivadinoviq” brandy substituted the deadly industrial ethyl alcohol.

The manufacturer was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison… but recently he was released by the Court of Nish and his case is pending review.

To date, Prishtina Hospital has not reported any fatalities or illnesses as a result of consuming the counterfeit ethanol-based alcohol. According to UNMIK police, in recent weeks they have seized 2 trucks at the Kosovo border transporting some 38,000 liters of ethanol, they believe to be bound for counterfeit alcohol manufacturing. UNMIK police say in the coming days they will soon publish a full report on the forensic content of the counterfeit alcoholic drinks.

That was all for this edition of UNMIK on Air, Thanks For listening, and stay tuned for more.