Czech gang jailed over £174m illegal booze ring

Members of a criminal gang who evaded nearly £174 million (Kč 6.4 billion) in taxes by selling bootleg alcohol have been jailed, following the deaths of 40 people from methanol poisoning.

Eight men in total were involved in the illegal racket, led by Radek Březina, with seven of the men jailed for various terms having been convicted of participating in an organised criminal group and serious tax evasion, as reported by the Prague Post.

Březina was sentenced to 13 years in prison by a court in Olomouc this week. His brother, Tomáš Březina, was sentenced to four years in prison while Lubomír Kaláč received nine years and two months in prison and Radek Mensik 12 years in prison. Two further gang members will spend nine years and two months in prison and one other six years in prison.

The eighth defendant, Tomáš Pantlík, who stored the illegal alcohol, was convicted of abetting an organized criminal group and given a three-year suspended sentence.

Czech police began investigating the alcohol ring in autumn 2012 after more than 40 people died from methanol poisoning.