The adulterated alcohol is once again at the origin of a terrible drama in Morocco. Seven people died after consuming it in Meknes, in the center of the country, the Moroccan agency MAP reported on Tuesday.
An investigation was opened after these deaths. The adulterated alcohol would have been acquired from a grocery store, a police source from the city of Meknes told MAP, adding that an eighth person was intoxicated.
Recurring similar dramas
The investigations led to the arrest of a 67-year-old merchant and his 17-year-old apprentice, suspected of possession and sale of adulterated alcoholic products which caused the death of consumers, according to the same source. The police also seized a dozen empty bottles which contained medical alcohol “which caused the death of the victims”.
This is not the first time that such a tragedy has occurred in Morocco but also in Tunisia and Algeria. A total of 19 people died last September in Ksar El Kebir, a city in the north of the kingdom, after consuming adulterated alcohol. In July 2021, around 20 people died after drinking adulterated alcohol in Oujda, eastern Morocco.
In theory, Moroccan law prohibits the sale of alcohol to Muslims, or 99% of the population of Morocco, where Islam is the state religion. In fact, it is easily found in bars, restaurants or even in licensed stores that offer it for sale behind opaque glass or thick curtains.