Locals have claimed a notorious Laos bar where two Aussie tourists partied on the night they ingested a toxic level of methanol may have links to the Asian mafia as police ramp up their investigations into the alleged mass alcohol poisoning.
Melbourne teens Bianca Jones and best friend Holly Bowles, both aged 19, were rushed to separate Thailand hospitals and placed on life support on November 13.
The best friends had been staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel in the party town of Vang Vieng, 196km from the Thailand border, where they drank mixed spirits at the bar the night before.
WhatsApp messages have since revealed that the pair then left the hostel and travelled 950m to the beachfront Jaidee’s Bar.
The infamous party bar, which offers free spirits, also has a hard copy ‘drug menu’, offering patrons opium, ecstasy and ketamine.
One man who tried to help the Aussie teens after they began feeling unwell claimed that they drank methanol-laced spirits there.
Ms Jones died surrounded by loved ones on Thursday. Her best friend remains in critical condition on life support.
Locals described Jaidee’s Bar as a ‘dangerous’ place with links to organised crime and the Asian mafia, the Herald Sun reported.
Melbourne teen Bianca Jones died surrounded by loved ones on Thursday
Laos locals claimed Jaidee’s Bar (pictured) has potential links to the Asian mafia
Locals were reluctant to reveal too much about the bar.
‘I can’t say too much, I need to protect my safety,’ a source told the publication.
‘The problem is at Jaidee’s Bar. They are dangerous.’
Staff at the bar reportedly told the publication that drugs are openly sold to patrons.
‘Ketamine is 400,000 [Laotion kip] for one gram, opium is 400,000 for one gram. Ecstasy 400,000,’ a bartender said.
Balloons filled with nitrous oxide are also reportedly sold, where multiple patrons were seen ordering and using them earlier this week.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that either Ms Bowles or Ms Jones were involved in any drug taking activity of any kind.
Testing revealed their ill health was caused by methanol poisoning.
Melbourne teen Holly Bowles remains on life support in a critical condition
Jaidee’s Bar offers patrons a a hard copy ‘drug menu’ and balloons filled with nitrous oxide which tourists were seen ordering this week (pictured)
Another Jaidee’s Bar bartender, who referred to himself as Pepsi, confirmed that shots of Tiger Whisky had been offered to patrons on the night Aussies were there but he was shocked to hear patrons had been hospitalised due to methanol poisoning.
He told the publication he did not remember serving the Australian teens but denied his bar had contaminated or added anything to its spirits.
An Australian woman who visited Jaidee’s Bar with her partner while holidaying in Vang Vieng added the venue was notorious and stuck to drinking bottled beer while there.
‘We’ve drank cocktails in almost every other country in south-east Asia without a second thought. But something just told me drinking there was not a wise option for us,’ she said.
Ms were among 14 tourists were rushed to hospital after consuming methanol-laced drinks on the same day.
A 56-year-old US man, a UK woman, 28 and two young women from Denmark have since died, along with Ms Jones.
The bar also has a hard-copy menu advertising drugs which can be purchased
Officers descended on Nana Backpackers Hostel where the Melbourne teens had been staying and were seen interrogating bar staff while inspecting bottles of spirits on Thursday
Other tourists in Vang Vieng have practiced extra caution since the poisonings.
The Australian government updated its travel advice to Laos on its Smartraveller website on Thursday, warning tourists to be wary of any spirit-based drinks.
‘Be alert to the potential risks particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails. For further advice on the risks around methanol poisoning as well as drink spiking,’ the website read.
Laos police ramped up its investigation into the mass poisoning after Ms Jones’ death on Thursday, with officers seen interrogating Nana Backpackers Hostel staff.
Staff were interviewed outside the hostel’s bar and detectives took notes as they lined up bottles of Smirnoff vodka, Havana Club rum, and Bombay Sapphire and Gordon’s gin.
Hostel manager Duong Duc Toan and bartender Toan Van Vanng had previously denied their alcohol was contaminated or diluted with methanol.
Toan said he bought the alcohol from a certified distributor and that free shots of Tiger Vodka had been served to around 100 guests on the night.
The manager said he had yet to received any complaints from other backpackers who been given shots.
To prove his point, he even drank from one of the vodka bottles that had been used on the night to prove it was safe.
‘Right now the police [are telling] every hostel and hotel and bar to stop selling drinks in Vang Vieng,’ he told the Associated Press.
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