Bar owner arrested for selling fake liquor that led to two deaths

SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- The police on Friday arrested two people and booked 25
others on suspicion of selling fake liquor that killed at least two customers.

The suspects, identified only by their surnames Choi and Park and as the bar
owner and an employee, allegedly have been selling fake liquor, mixing alcohol
with a number of unidentified chemicals, disguised as expensive import brands
since as long ago as 2004, according to the police.
They are also believed to have tried to cover up the deaths of at least two
customers who died of alcohol poisoning after drinking at their bar, they said.
A 25-year-old victim, identified by his last name Jeon, died on the night of Aug.
23 last year after he was taken to a nearby motel by a group of employees from
the bar and left there alone. The other 34-year-old victim, also identified as a
Jeon, 34, also died at a motel room after he was left unattended, they said.
"We were able to expose their crimes while following on a report that a number of
people have died from being left intoxicated," a police official said.
The police are widening their investigation, suspecting there are more victims.
The 25 booked suspects include members of a crime ring and the owners of the
motels where the victims were admitted to and left alone, the police said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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