An anonymous tip led a task force to uncover three illegal storage locations in downtown São Paulo, where expired and unverified alcoholic beverages were being stored and sold. The operation, conducted by the Civil Police on Tuesday (7) in the Santa Ifigênia neighborhood, is part of an integrated crisis response team aimed at combatting contamination of drinks with methanol. During the raid, two men were arrested, and over 70,000 containers were seized.
In the first location, agents found a cellar stocked with various types of alcoholic beverages, including beers, cachaças, rum, and gin, all lacking proper invoices. It was also noted that some beer bottles bore labels different from their original factory versions.
READ MORE: SP Government task force seizes over 100,000 containers in illegal warehouse
At the second site, a public-facing cellar, employees discovered beverages past their expiration date on display. A vehicle parked outside was found with boxes of both full and empty alcoholic drinks.
According to the police report, the vehicle’s driver was scheduled to deliver these beverages to bars in central São Paulo but had not yet been informed of the specific locations.
Two men, one of whom was identified as the cellar’s manager, were confronted by officers. Subsequent investigations revealed a third location linked to the pair containing more boxes of outdated and suspiciously sourced beverages.
In total, authorities seized 300 alcoholic bottles, both full and empty, and an additional 180 expired drinks, including beers, energy drinks, tonic waters, and coconut waters. Some products had been unfit for consumption for at least two years.
Approximately 71,000 bottles and containers housed in the deposits will be preserved and sealed for further action, with all beverages set to undergo analysis by the Technical-Scientific Police.
The two suspects, aged 29 and 48, arrested for selling expired beverages, will face charges related to violations of consumer protection laws. The incident has been logged at the 77th Police District in Santa Cecília.
Crisis Response Team Against Methanol Contamination
To enhance efforts against methanol contamination, the Government of São Paulo established a crisis response team on Tuesday (30) to ensure public safety.
This task force includes the Secretariats of Health, Public Safety, Finance, and Justice, along with the Departments of Economic Development, Communication, and municipal health surveillance. Coordinated actions involve precautionary closures of establishments suspected of selling fraudulent beverages and the collection of bottles for forensic examination.
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