Overview

• Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski ordered the Federal Police to investigate the provenance of methanol and potential distribution networks, with authorities assessing whether the scheme extended beyond São Paulo.
• State officials reported 22 occurrences under review and five deaths, with one fatality confirmed as caused by adulterated alcohol and four pending forensic confirmation.
• São Paulo authorities say five police inquiries are active, two suspects have been arrested, and operations seized about 50,000 bottles and 15 million falsified tax seals in crackdown actions.
• Targeted inspections in the capital’s Jardins, Mooca and Cidade Dutra areas led to the seizure of 117 unlabeled bottles; products and deaths await analysis by the Criminalistics Institute and the Medical Examiner’s Office.
• Health and consumer agencies issued alerts on rapid treatment for symptoms such as blurred vision, severe headache and vomiting, and urged purchase of sealed, traceable products as some venues temporarily restrict sales of spirits.