Fake wine of unknown origin appears a lot on the market

(Baonghean) -During the days leading up to Lunar New Year, most items such as cigarettes, foreign alcohol, etc. have strong consumption. This is an opportunity for those who specialize in counterfeiting, smuggling, and goods of unknown origin to release to the market.

Recently, the Nghe An Police Department of Investigation of Crimes on Economic Management Order and Positions inspected the Innova car with license plate 37S-1809 while it was delivering goods at Kim Lien Hotel (Vinh City) and discovered 100 bottles of wine and 70 cartons of foreign cigarettes without valid documents. Continuing to expand the investigation, in coordination with the International Anti-Counterfeit Alcohol Association in Vietnam, the Police Department collected many documents proving that the illegal activities of the owner of the above goods were a famous foreign wine business in Vinh City called HG.

Through simultaneous searches of 4 establishments storing foreign alcohol products of the above owner, including shops on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Tran Phu Street, and 2 warehouses on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street and HG's residence on Van Duc Giai Street, Vinh City, the police force temporarily seized 3,149 packs of smuggled foreign cigarettes, more than 10 cartons and crates of smuggled Heineken beer, more than 3,000 bottles of foreign alcohol of unknown origin, more than 4,200 imported alcohol stamps and sub-stamps that the subject used to stick on the alcohol bottles, and more than 150 paper covers containing unused alcohol bottles. Meanwhile, the owner of the HG store could not present documents proving the legality of the alcohol and admitted that the above quantity of cigarettes and alcohol were smuggled goods. Among them were popular foreign alcohols such as Chivas, Hennessy, Remy Martin, XO... which were sold for millions of dong.

Also during the peak period of preventing and combating the trading and transporting of prohibited and smuggled goods, ensuring food safety and hygiene in 2012, the Working Group of the Environmental Crime Prevention Police of Vinh City Police inspected a passenger bus with license plate 37H-8192 running on the Vinh - Hai Phong route and discovered that the vehicle was carrying 19 wine boxes wrapped in Lavis mineral water boxes. There were 18 bottles of Chivas wine, 72 bottles of Martin wine and 317 bottles of Valentine... The driver could not present any legal documents, invoices or receipts for all the goods. To ensure the health of consumers, Nghe An Police coordinated with the Provincial People's Procuracy to destroy the above wine.
Recently, on the afternoon of January 17, 2013, the Environmental Police force of Nghe An Province discovered a truck traveling on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Vinh City, driven by Tran Khac Ky (born in 1960), residing in Hong Son Ward, Vinh City, carrying 216 bottles of foreign wine (including 128 bottles of Ballantines 12 and 88 bottles of Chivas Regal 18).



Alcohol of unknown origin was seized by police.

All of the above goods were of unknown origin and had no valid documents. At the investigation agency, driver Tran Khac Ky confessed that the above wine was being transported for a wine import-export company located at Tecco apartment complex, Quang Trung ward, Vinh city. Previously, on January 9, 2013, Hung Nguyen district police (Nghe An) also discovered and arrested a passenger car carrying more than 200 bottles of smuggled Black wine.

According to the authorities, the reason for the increase and complexity of the business and trade of smuggled and fake foreign wine is because of high profits. Many individuals, establishments and businesses have deliberately produced fake wine, wine imitating famous and reputable domestic and foreign wine brands to deceive and confuse consumers. The popular method today is to use used but still new bottles of famous brands of wine with fake caps and corks to make fake wine bottles; the wine solution is mixed from alcohol, vodka, white wine, rice wine, rice wine and mixed with industrial colors and industrial odors that have the same flavor as famous domestic and foreign wine brands. That is not to mention the amount of smuggled foreign wine on the market that is smuggled through the border, small-scale routes or from border gates and commercial fraud when carrying out customs clearance procedures and temporary import and re-export. To identify fake wine, buyers cannot distinguish, only through appraisal by authorities can they distinguish real from fake.

Currently, the Provincial Police are directing the Economic Police Department, Environmental Police Department, Economic Security Department and the police of districts, cities and towns to organize the destruction of networks, groups and gathering places for transporting and trading in prohibited goods, smuggled goods, and producing and trading in counterfeit goods on the land and sea borders. All violations must be thoroughly handled in accordance with the provisions of law; it is strictly forbidden to cover up and assist in smuggling, counterfeit goods and commercial fraud.

Huu Trong (CANA)