Bootleg liquor kills more than 100 in Indonesia
Limited sales of legal alcohol and high taxes have led to a thriving black market in the illicit drink in Indonesia.
Wednesday 11 April 2018 09:17, UK
More than 100 people have died from alcohol poisoning in Indonesia after drinking toxic bootleg liquor.
The deaths, which have all occurred this month, have been mainly concentrated in West Java and the capital Jakarta.
Police say they will crackdown on producers and distributors in a bid to put a stop to a black market in alcohol.
Deputy National Police Chief Muhammad Syafruddin said: "I have ordered all the police chiefs in Indonesia to make these cases stop, zero victims, meaning to reveal the roots (of this problem)."
Muslim-majority Indonesia has a thriving bootleg business, fuelled by high taxes and limited sales of legal alcohol.
It is the poor population of the country who are most affected by the illegal trade.
The gap between rich and poor has grown faster in Indonesia than in any other country in South East Asia, according to Oxfam.