Deaths from lethal alcohol now culpable homicide not amounting to murder

SHAH ALAM: The deaths of 17 people in Selangor after they consumed lethal alcohol has been reclassified as culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Selangor police chief Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Mansor said the case was reclassified to Section 304 of the Penal Code after the death toll reached 17 people in Selangor as of 8am today.
He said of the 50 victims reported in Selangor, 24 remain in hospital and nine have been discharged.
He said following yesterday's incident, police carried out 12 raids across the state and arrested seven individuals for their alleged involvement in the sale of poisonous alcoholic beverages.
The seven individuals were picked up under the Customs Act.
"Operations were immediately initiated statewide to detect alcoholic drinks consumed by the victims and premises involved in the sale of the products.
"From the seven shopkeepers who were detained two were women, two local males and the rest foreigners," he told a media conference at Selangor police headquarters here today.
The raids were conducted in Bukit Kemuning and Taman Seri Muda (both in Shah Alam), Taman Sri Gombak, Taman Daya, Taman Sri Ehsan in Kg. Baru Subang, Seksyen U5 Shah Alam and Semenyih, Kajang.
During the raids, police also seized 1,030 whiskey bottles and 1,767 beer cans of various brands.
Police have identified three brands of the lethal alcoholic beverages.
They were Mandalay Whiskey, Kingfisher beer and Grand Royal Whiskey.
Yesterday, the Health Ministry said a total of 51 such cases were reported to it as of 5pm yesterday.
Initial investigations conducted by the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Departments of Health found that all the patients involved had purchased compounded hard liquor from premises located around Klang Valley and Selangor.