Customs officials in Ireland broke up a counterfeit vodka operation that was managed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) that is estimated to have been a multimillion euro moonshine operation. In a raid by Custom agents, nearly 1110,000 bottles caps, 400,000 fake labels of popular vodka brands, 500 cardboard boxes and a bottling plant was… Continue reading IRA Running a Counterfeit Vodka Operations
Tag: Alcohol Smuggling
Alcohol smuggling news and data. Statistics and information on the illegal smuggling and bootlegging of alcohol. Tax losses from smuggling and other financial data listed.
Counterfeit Goods Market Value in India
According to the International Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the sales of counterfeits and smuggling of fake goods into India caused sales losses of $11.9 Billion in 2012. This amount represented 21.7 percent of sales losses to companies. Some of the consumer sectors that are impacted by… Continue reading Counterfeit Goods Market Value in India
Global Raids Against Counterfeit Food
In Febraury 2014, Interpol and Europol reported on global raids conducted against producers and sellers of counterfeit foods. In total, over 1,200 tonnes of counterfeit and substandard food and nearly 430,000 liters of counterfeit beverages were seized across 33 countries. 96 people were arrested by various criminal justice programs during the investigation. Highlights of the… Continue reading Global Raids Against Counterfeit Food
Counterfeit Whiskey Sales in Russia in 2013
Criminal justice programs in Russia reported that sales of counterfeit whiskey in the country may have been worth $230 Million (8 Billion Rubles) in 2013. Based on sales and import tracking data, the State Statistics Service in Russia reported that retailers sold 9.9 million more liters of whiskey than officially imported. Officials believe that this figure… Continue reading Counterfeit Whiskey Sales in Russia in 2013
Alcohol Smuggling in Delhi, India
Criminal justice officials in India estimate that alcohol smuggling for the purpose of avoiding duties costs the Delhi government up to $40 Million (250 Crore) per year. There is a 60 percent tax on liquor in Delhi. Smugglers purchase bottles of alcohol in the state of Haryana for $35 (2,200 Rupees), where it is sold… Continue reading Alcohol Smuggling in Delhi, India
Counterfeit Alcohol and Smuggled Cigarettes in Ireland
In the first ten months of 2013, authorities in Ireland seized 929 liters of counterfeit alcohol across the country. In 2012, the number of fake alcohol bottles that were seized total 232. Vodka was reported to be the most counterfeited bottle in 2013. Criminal justice programs state that counterfeiters use legitimate alcohol bottles when making… Continue reading Counterfeit Alcohol and Smuggled Cigarettes in Ireland
Fake Vodka in Sheffield
In the English city of Sheffield, security officers and public health programs are seeing an increase in illegal bottles of counterfeit alcohol. In the 2011 to 2012 fiscal year, officials in the city seized 554 bottles of counterfeit alcohol. In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the number of fake bottles seized increased to 1,470. Halfway through… Continue reading Fake Vodka in Sheffield
Alcohol and Cigarette Smuggling in Costa Rica
22 percent of the alcohol sold in Costa Rica is sold illegally without the payment of taxes, according to the Finance Ministry. Over 90 percent of the contraband alcohol is smuggled into the country. Financial authorities also seized 12.3 million black market cigarettes that were being smuggled without the payment of duties in the first… Continue reading Alcohol and Cigarette Smuggling in Costa Rica
Methanol in Illicit Alcohol
In a span of two months, 52 people died in Indonesia after consuming alcohol tainted with methanol. Security investigations have found that bar owners have been mixing and producing their own alcohol on the black market in order to increase their profits. Investigators with criminal justice programs have found that some producing have been using… Continue reading Methanol in Illicit Alcohol
Illegal Alcohol Deaths in Russia in 2010
It was previously reported that up to 42,000 people were dying in Russia each year due to consuming counterfeit alcohol and other illegally made alcohol. After increase monitoring and enforcement by Russian security services, the number of deaths dropped to around 12,000 in 2010. In an example of the smuggling, one man stopped in 2013… Continue reading Illegal Alcohol Deaths in Russia in 2010