Embarrassed Swedish police will pay 16,000 kronor in damages to a man they confiscated alcohol from seven years ago because when he went to pick it up he found many of the bottles had water inside them.
Police believed the man had broken alcohol importing laws after returning from Germany with large amounts of spirits, wine and beer in April 2007. They then raided his home and confiscated it. But four years later he was cleared and all charges were dropped.
However, when he went to collect his booze, he soon discovered that lots of it was not there, while some of the beer, cider and wine was now out of date. Furthermore, he realised that somebody or some persons had drunk 10 bottles of gin and five bottles of vodka and refilled the empties with water.
Police said they never found out who the guilty culprit was but admitted their negligence. They said the amount they would pay the man covered the alcohol that had been stolen and the water-filled bottles.