A bartender was arrested in Vietnam Friday for allegedly making a deadly homemade limoncello that led to the death of a British woman and her fiancé in December.
According to local reports, the provincial police agency pressed charges against the 46-year-old bartender, identified as Le Tan Gia, for violating food safety regulations.
Officers said that Gia had used 70 per cent medical alcohol, mixing it with water, lemonade and sugar to make the limoncello that he sold the couple on Dec. 24, police said in a statement. Police also noted that the alcohol used was disinfectant only, and not to be used in food processing.
Police in Hoi An arrested 46-year-old bartender Le Tan Gia on Feb. 7.
Công An Quảng Nam / Facebook
“After taking the drinks, the two suffered serious methanol poisoning, leading to their death,” the statement said.
Local police added that the case is currently being investigated and handled by the police force.
On Dec. 26, Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Quinto Els, 36, were found dead in separate rooms at the Hoi An Silverbell Villa in Hội An, according to Vietnam News.
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The Vietnamese police had confirmed that Otteson and Els died from methanol poisoning from contaminated alcohol after consuming tainted “homemade” limoncello.
Methanol is a clear, colourless alcohol used in all kinds of everyday products like industrial cleaners, solvents, paint, cosmetics and anti-freeze. Methanol is toxic and deadly when consumed.
The couple allegedly ordered two bottles of limoncello from a restaurant on Christmas Eve and woke up with “the worst hangover ever” on Christmas Day and tried to “sleep it off.”
Otteson reportedly contacted her parents via WhatsApp on Christmas Day to tell them about her hangover and that she was seeing “black spots” in her vision.
Vietnam News said that authorities collected several empty liquor bottles from the scene. It was also reported that the initial findings “showed no signs of scratches or external force on the bodies.”
“The Vietnamese police have now confirmed that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, as verified by the autopsy results,” Otteson’s parents said in a statement.
“Both Greta and Arno were experienced worldwide travellers. They found their perfect home and were incredibly happy with their life in Vietnam, planning for the future,” their statement continued. “They were a loving couple with their life ahead of them. The tributes we have had from around the world are unbelievable. Our aim is to bring the people who supplied the alcohol and killed Greta and Arno to justice.”
On Nov. 20, 2024, Canada issued a travel advisory after six tourists, mostly aged 19 to 20, died from suspected methanol poisoning in a popular backpacker town in northern Laos earlier that month.
“Several foreigners in Vang Vieng have been victims of suspected methanol-adulterated alcohol poisoning,” the warning read. “Be vigilant if you choose to drink alcohol. Avoid accepting free or extremely low-priced drinks. Only buy alcohol in sealed bottles and cans from reputable shops. Seek medical assistance if you begin to feel sick.”
The advisory was released after two Australian teenagers and a British woman died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos.
—With files from Global News’ Katie Dangerfield
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