Source: Houston Chronicle 
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Pubdate: Thu, 25 Dec 1997
Page: 32A 
Website: http://www.chron.com/

ILLEGAL ALCOHOL DESTROYED

MOSCOW  Security forces and health officials in Khabarovsk, in the
Russian far east, have begun destroying 400,000 bottles of contraband
alcohol, ITARTASS reported Wednesday.

The bottles of wine, bubbly and vodka were seized from a clandestine
storage depot in Khabarovsk. The bottles bore no official stamp and were
found to contain poor quality alcohol. Last week, 57,000 bottles of fake
champagne and 10,000 bottles of illegally distilled vodka were destroyed.

In November police said 43,000 people had died in Russia this year,
poisoned by illegally produced alcoholic drinks.