HM Revenue and Customs
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Six arrested as fake vodka plant smashed
A major counterfeit vodka manufacturing and bottling plant has been smashed in Leicestershire, in a two day operation, following raids by HM Revenue & Customs officers.
Six men have been arrested in the last 24 hours - four from Nottingham, one from Doncaster and one from Weston-Super-Mare.
Around 70 officers took part in the operation, resulting in the seizure of ten thousand litres of fake vodka, branded as Glens, manufacturing equipment including stills, bottles and counterfeit packaging – labels and cardboard boxes.
Over 35,000 litres of pure alcohol were also seized, enough to make around 100,000 litres of vodka. The potential revenue loss to the public purse on yesterday’s haul is over £1 million.
Andrew Pavlinic, Assistant Chief Investigation Officer for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), said: “The success of this operation is a result of our determined efforts to disrupt and dismantle the illegal supply of alcohol. Organised crime has a detrimental and harmful effect on all our communities as well as a damaging impact on our environment. The revenue loss to the public purse on alcohol fraud relating to spirits is around £225 million a year – money vitally needed for our public services.”
The action follows an investigation into a suspected illegal counterfeit alcohol manufacturing operation based at a remote industrial unit at a farm near Little Dalby, Leicestershire.
Initial investigations indicate a sophisticated operation with the equipment to mix the vodka on site using pure alcohol and other chemicals. The bottles of vodka seized feature professionally printed labels, duty stamps and bottle tops – all of which are counterfeit. Analysis of a sample bottle show higher levels of methanol. In high quantities methanol can pose health risks.
It is believed this was a substantial production bottle and distribution plant with the infrastructure to distribute large quantities of counterfeit Glen’s vodka throughout the UK.
The six men arrested have been released on bail until January 2010.
The operation was supported by Leicestershire Trading Standards.
Notes to editors
1. HMRC are keen to work closely with local people and communities in the fight against crime and encourage anyone with information relating to illegally imported goods or tax evasion and fraud encouraged to contact our Customs Hotline 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
2. Consumer guide to counterfeit and suspect spirits - These tips should help you avoid purchasing counterfeit or suspect spirits.
Price
Too low a price – the duty and vat (15%) on a 70cl Bottle of 37.5% vodka is £6.83 and for a 70cl Bottle of 40% whisky is £7.29. If you paid less than this the spirits are suspect.
Labelling – lot coding
Bottles of spirits should be lot coded so they can be traced in the event of a recall. Lot codes can be ink-jet printed onto a label or the bottle, or the code may be laser etched into the glass. Counterfeit spirits are often not lot coded.
Labelling – poor quality of print
Counterfeit labels are often poorly printed, common mistakes are spelling errors, print misalignment of colour logos and feint printing.
Labelling – manufacturer/producer/ distributor details
Genuine spirits should be labelled with a name and address. For EU manufactured products this could be as simple as a name and post code. Products with no name and address are suspect.
Labels – quality
Counterfeit labels may be stuck on crooked or creased.
Content – white particles
Bottles of vodka shouldn’t have any white particles in the spirit or white sediment in the spirit, or white blooming of the glass. These effects are due to the dilution of the ‘spirit’ with regular tap water.
Content – fill height
Variations of fill height between bottles may indicate that they have been manually filled and therefore suspect.
Closure – loose cap
The screw cap and its retaining ring shouldn’t both turn when trying to open the bottle. This may indicate the cap has been manually fitted rather than closed by machine and the spirit may be suspect.
Taste and smell
If you buy a particular spirit on a regular basis and it either tastes or smells different then stop drinking it and report it as suspect.
Brand names
Suspect spirits are often given invented names. If a search of the Internet fails to bring up either details of the manufacturer or reasonable list of wholesalers stocking the spirit then the spirit may be suspect. Similar checks can be made of the bar code.
UK Duty Stamp
Spirits sold in 35cl bottles and larger and of 30% proof and higher have to be duty stamped. The duty stamps are either incorporated into the label or stuck on the glass of the bottle. Duty stamps stuck on or over part of the product label are suspect and should be reported.
Advice to retailers
Finally, if you are a retailer and are offered spirits at £2 to £5 below the prices charged by your local wholesaler then treat the offer with suspicion.
