the liquid was protected from the Ministry of Internal Affairs warehouse

During the investigation of the mass poisoning with the low-alcohol drink “Mister Cider”, the police established that the alcohol-containing liquid was stolen from the warehouse of the Center for Economic and Service Support of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Samara Region. This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on Thursday.

“This batch has been stored in the warehouse since 2012, after it was seized during inspection activities,” the department said in a statement. It is confirmed that two residents of Samara, allegedly involved in the robbery, were detained, and the police sergeant, who “guarded the warehouse and assisted the intruders, let them into the territory.”

In connection with the incident, the deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Samara region, Major General of the Internal Service Yuriy Safronov, as well as the head of the Samara center of economic service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, have been relieved of their duties.

It is not clear from the report whether the kidnappers were connected with cider producers, and whether it was this liquid that caused the poisoning of those who drank Mr. Cider.

According to official data, the total number of victims of poisoning in the regions of Russia is 96, of which 30 people died. Most of them were poisoned in the Ulyanovsk region, but there were also dead and injured in other regions, primarily in the Volga region. Methanol and ethyl butyrate impurities were found in the Mr. Cider drink.