Editor’s Note: The article has been updated to reflect recent developments. Unfortunately, we have received news that the number of people who passed away has increased from 8 to 9. The individual who was previously in critical condition has also passed away today in a local hospital.
RABAT- In a chilling sequence of events, nine lives were claimed in Meknes, Morocco, in just a 24-hour span. These bodies, found on Monday in disparate locations across the city — from a damaged tower and public gardens to a residential neighborhood — ignited an immediate investigation by local authorities and security forces.
Upon post-mortem examinations of the victims, the cause of death was determined to be poisoning. This tragic revelation pointed to the consumption of Mahya, a type of homemade alcoholic beverage in Morocco that is often illegally produced and sold.
The substance is believed to be the root cause of the eight fatalities.
The discovery, while distressing, provided critical direction for the investigation.
Following these findings, the Police launched an extensive operation across the city. The efforts led to the swift apprehension of two individuals suspected of involvement in the production and distribution of the deadly substance — a 67-year-old merchant and his 17-year-old assistant.
A statement released by the Provincial Judicial Police Service in Meknes shed light on the nature of the arrests. “The two suspects were taken into custody for possessing and selling toxic beverages that pose a serious risk to public health,” the statement affirmed.
Further implicating the accused, the subsequent police search of their property yielded dozens of empty plastic bottles. Investigators believe these containers once held the deadly sterilizing alcohol which had been repurposed into beverages.
Mahya can be extremely dangerous due to the unregulated production process and the potentially harmful ingredients used like Methanol. This latter, for example, can lead to a range of health issues when consumed, including blindness and death.
Producers of these types of homemade alcoholic beverages sometimes use harmful substances to increase the potency of the drink or to lower the cost of production.
However, these substances can have fatal effects when ingested, leading to incidents like this one.
It is worth reminding that a similar event occurred last September in Ksar El-Kebir. Last April, a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after killing 21 people.
The Moroccan Times.
