Police smash fake vodka plant confiscating '15 tons of illegal alcohol products'

The seizure of fake alcohol in Krasnoyark is one of the largest-ever in Russia.

The find of Boyaryshnik - a bath lotion made of hawthorn which has been drunk as an alcohol substitute - may be especially significant. 

Counterfeit sales of this last year caused mass poisoning in Irkutsk, leading to 76 deaths and 123 people needing medical treatment.

Police also found more than 15,000 litres of pure alcohol, and 20,000 empty vodka bottles of vodka, with supplies of fake labels,  bags, boxes, and lids.

Three men were detained, one aged 42, the others 22. 

Vladimir Yurchenko, spokesman for the Krasnoyarsk regional police, said: 'A lot depends on experts' opinion now. 

'At the moment we even don~t know what kind of pure alcohol is in those large containers - methyl or ethyl. 

'We need to know if Boyaryshnik was actually inside the 'Boyaryshnik' bottles. 

'I can only say that it is one of the largest supplies of fake alcohol found  in our region if not the whole country.'

Expected charges include illegal business activities or making products dangerous to people's life and health.