Fake Branded Liquor Cases
November 29,2017 – Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
The gated community of Goodview Heights, in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia is billed as a holistic township. It is a planned development that features upper middle-class apartments, condominiums and single-family residents, complete with retail and office space. The idyllic silence of this secured community was shattered as officers from Selangor broke down the front door of a two-story home. The officers were there in conclusion to an unidentified investigation. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK), according to China Press.
The upper middle class two story house appeared to be unoccupied, it did house 1,942 cases of counterfeit liquor, making it a very expensive warehouse. Among the cases lining this affluent two-story home were brands that would be common in the upper middle-class community of Goodview Heights. Police walked through room after room with authentic looking cases of Martell, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniel’s, Chivas Regal, Macallan, Black Label and Hennessy. Along with the usual cases of quart bottles, police uncovered cases that contained Magnum size gift bottles that retail for upwards of $500 USD. In all the KPDNKK estimated the cache at RM528,000, or approximately $128,000 USD.
During the raid, police found evidence that the counterfeit liquor was destined for the eastern parts of Malaysia, including Perak, Penang, Kedah and Kuantan. The operation was described by the KPDNKK as a refilling operation. Police believe that suspects, who were not apprehended were collecting used bottles of the famous brands and refilling them with counterfeit liquor. Although police must have made this assumption based on something that they found during their investigation, it may have only been one aspect of the operation.
With the perfect looking cases, and the number of bottles in storage, it is this writer’s opinion that this high-end counterfeit liquor operation mimics others that have come to light around the world in the past few years. In other raids throughout the world, operations where this much product was being distributed, they relied on purchasing counterfeit liquor bottles, labels, caps, and cartons from worldwide online marketplaces. Although Goodview Heights, has a large population, it seems unlikely that the counterfeit alcohol producers would be able to keep themselves supplied with enough bottles by garbage picking or buying from the recycling center throughout the affluent community. Judging by the photos released of this raid, the gift boxes and cartons are not used, but rather perfect replications of the authentic whiskey and cognac brands that they are representing.
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