Merauke, Jubi – Reports indicate that 68 residents in Asmat Regency, South Papua Province, were poisoned after consuming hundreds of bottles of adulterated alcoholic beverages on Friday (23/2/2024). Four people have died, seven are being treated at the Agats Regional General Hospital, and 57 others are undergoing outpatient treatment.
Asmat Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Hariadi, when contacted by Jubi from Merauke on Monday, confirmed the incident of mass poisoning from the adulterated moonshine.
Agus Hariadi explained that on Monday, February 19, a resident found as many as 216 bottles of alcoholic beverages floating in the Kali Potong river near Ewer Airport. He then picked them up.
“A resident was fishing, and when he arrived at Kali Potong, he saw floating objects. After inspection, it turned out to be bottles of alcoholic beverages. He picked them up and took them to Suru-Suru pier. There, they were distributed, and many people drank them,” explained Agus Hariadi.
Police suspect that the hundreds of bottles of adulterated alcohol were discarded from a passenger ship by its owner. This was done to avoid police raids on alcohol at Yos Sudarso Agats Port. Typically, when passenger ships arrive, the police inspect suspicious cargo.
“Currently, we are still investigating who the owner is, whether it was thrown from a passenger ship or how. We have sent samples to a laboratory in Jayapura to determine the contents of the beverages,” said Agus Hariadi.
“They are indeed Cap Tikus alcoholic beverage, there are nine parcels with each parcel consisting of 24 bottles of Cap Tikus of 1.50 liters,” he added. (*)
