A bartender in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam has been arrested after mixing medical alcohol with water, lemon zest, and sugar to create a homemade liquor, which resulted in the methanol poisoning deaths of two foreign tourists late last year.

The provincial police agency announced on Friday that they had pressed charges against the 46-year-old bartender, identified as Le Tan Gia, for violating food safety regulations.

The arrest follows an incident on December 26, in which Otteson Greta Marie, a 34-year-old British woman, and Els Arno Quinton, a 36-year-old South African man, were found dead in their respective rooms at the same tourist villa in Cam Thanh Commune, Hoi An City.

The villa’s staff discovered the deaths at 11:18 am and immediately reported them to the provincial police agency, which deployed forces to examine the scene.

An on-site investigation found no signs of physical violence or external injuries, but several empty liquor bottles were recovered from the rooms.

A Vietnamese police officer examines one of the two rooms at Hoa Chuong villa in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, where two foreigners were found dead on December 26, 2024. Photo: Quang Nam Public Security Department

Forensic tests later confirmed that both victims had died from methanol poisoning after consuming homemade Limoncello, a traditional Italian lemon liqueur typically made at home and enjoyed chilled.

Investigators traced the source of the fatal drink back to Le Tan Gia, a bartender at a local restaurant in Hoi An. 

On December 24 last year, Gia had prepared two bottles of Limoncello using 70-degree medical alcohol -- a substance intended for disinfection, not human consumption.

Instead of using proper vodka or distilled liquor, Gia mixed medical alcohol with water, lemon zest, and sugar to create an imitation Limoncello. 

He then served the drink to the two foreign tourists. 

Shortly after consuming the alcohol, both individuals suffered severe methanol poisoning, which ultimately led to their deaths.

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