Free Republic

Five men accused of brewing illegal Portuguese spirits blended with deadly methanol went on trial in Sintra, near Lisbon, this week. Five Norwegians died after drinking the illegal brew, and the man who smuggled it to Norway got more than eight years in prison.Norwegian smuggler Erik Fallo initially was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but an appeals court later cut the term to eight-and-a-half years.The five on trial in Portugal face 25-year terms, after being indicted in what's become the biggest smuggling case in Portuguese history.All were allegedly part of a large international network that also evaded around NOK...

Career bootlegger calls it quitsA Norwegian man who has spent the past 30 years producing and importing illegal liquor says his career is over. Erik Fallo also admitted partial guilt in a recent smuggling case, but denies responsibility for some bad brew that killed several of its consumers.Prosecutors claim at least seven people died painful deaths after drinking liquor that Fallo smuggled to Norway from Portugal. The liquor contained methanol, which allowed for cheaper production but had fatal consequences.Fallo is on trial along with 76-year-old Per Erik Fossum, who's also charged in the fatal smuggling case. The court has set...

Airport security nabs moonshineA man in central Norway tucked five liters of home-brewed alcohol into his suitcase and checked it on board a flight from Trondheim. Airport security officials confiscated the canister, claiming it could have blown up the plane.The incident occurred last week, when the man, in his 30s, checked in for a flight to northern Norway. The web site for local newpaper Adresseavisen said the home brew was removed, but the man was allowed to continue his journey.The alcohol, according to Arne Hofstad of the Nord-Trøndelag Police District, "can be compared to gasoline, only it burns even better."...