SHAH ALAM: Selangor police have detained seven people to facilitate investigation into an alcohol poisoning case that has so far claimed 19 lives, with 17 of them from the state.
State police chief Datuk Mazlan Mansor said the seven, mostly sundry shop owners, were picked up separately in Bukit Kemuning, Taman Seri Muda and Kampung Baru Subang (Seksyen U5 Shah Alam) in Shah Alam; Taman Sri Gombak; Taman Daya and Taman Sri Ehsan in Kuala Lumpur and Bandar Rinching in Semenyih.
"Two of them are locals while the rest are from Myanmar and India," he said.
From the shops, he said the police team seized 1,030 bottles of whiskey of various brands including Grand Royal and Mandalay. Also seized were 1,767 cans of Volcano and King Fisher beer.
Mazlan said the arrests and seizures were made under Section 135 of the Customs Act.
Elaborating further on the case, he said as of 8am today, as many as 50 people were being treated at various hospitals in the state for suspected alcohol poisoning.
"Of this number, 17 have been pronounced dead, 24 are still undergoing treatment while nine have been released from hospital.
"The deceased comprised of one local man, seven Myanmar nationals, two Bangladeshi, five Nepali, one Indian national and a man whose nationality has yet to be ascertained.
Mazlan said police have reclassified the case under Section 304 of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.