Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev dismissed Major General Yuri Safronov, who oversaw the activities of rear units, from the post of Deputy Interior Minister for the Samara Region. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Colonel Alexander Remnev, head of the FKU “Center for economic and service support of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Samara Region”, will also be fired.
The reason for the dismissals was an investigation into the supply chain of “Mr. Cider”, as a result of which more than 30 people died in several regions. “As a result, the police established the fact of the theft of an alcohol-containing liquid from the warehouse of the Federal State Institution “Center for Economic and Service Support of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Samara Region.” This batch has been stored in the warehouse since 2012, after it was withdrawn during the verification activities,” the message says.
As part of the case, two residents of Samara were detained, as well as a police sergeant guarding the warehouse. According to investigators, he helped the attackers by letting them into the warehouse.
On June 5, the Investigative Committee reported on the first cases of poisoning by “Mr. Cider” with a fatal outcome. A few days earlier, in Dmitrovograd (Ulyanovsk region), several people were hospitalized with poisoning from an unidentified substance. Despite the medical assistance provided, six died. They all drank cider bought in Territory Beer stores, where it was delivered from the Samara region. The manufacturer of the drink turned out to be Andi LLC. By June 8, 31 people died after drinking the drink – in the Ulyanovsk, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod regions. Victims of cider poisoning were also identified in the Penza and Kurgan regions. In total, the number of people poisoned in Russia has reached 96 people, of which 29 people are in serious condition.
The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, instructed to find and withdraw this brand of cider from sale, and Rosalkogolregulirovanie stopped its shipment and delivery. Later, the examination showed impurities of methanol and ethyl butyrate in the seized cider.
The Investigative Committee opened a case on illegal production, storage, transportation and sale of products (part 3 of article 238 of the Criminal Code of Russia). The article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to ten years.
Entrepreneur Anar Afat oglu Huseynov was detained in the Samara region in connection with the case. He was charged and sent under arrest for a period of two months. He did not admit his guilt. His lawyer, Vusal Sheydayev, stated in court that another employee of the company, who had already been detained thanks to cooperation with the investigation of the accused, could supply alcohol with an admixture of methanol. As part of the case, the company’s managers Anton Frolov and Ramil Aslanov, who were engaged in the sale of cider, as well as the chief accountant Polina Uskova, were detained.
