The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has seized more than 2,700 bottles of fake and smuggled liquor of various brands in a raid on shops in Bangkok and arrested a suspect. Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang, the DSI's director-general, said the raid was on Sri Wathnan shop on Siripong Road and 12 other spots nearby in the Samran Rat area of Phra Nakhon district, on Tuesday.
Of all 2,761 bottles, some were fake products while others were smuggled. With market value of 5 million baht, they were of various brands such as Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal, Jack Daniel's, Hennessy XO, Ballantines, along with Penfolds Bin 2 and Penfolds Bin 389 wines.
The DSI chief said the fake liquor was substandard and hazardous to health.
A man identified as Surawut Rojprasitporn, 59, was arrested on charges of violating the Trademark Act, Liquor Act and Customs Act.
Pol Col Paisit said the raid was necessary as Thailand is still on the Priority Watch List (PWL) for intellectual property violations, affecting the country's trade and investments.
The DSI is duty-bound to conduct suppression against intellectual property violations, particularly in the so-called red zones and notorious markets, he said.
Pol Col Paisit said Sri Wathnan shop had sold fake liquor and spirits smuggled from neighbouring countries for more than 30 years but it had never been raided before.
The crackdown by the DSI followed complaints from damaged parties, he said."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... led-liquor
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"Be very cautious when buying alcohol especially when it is too good to be true. Also for those that pop bottles at the club thinking you’ve hit a jackpot when you’re paying cheap price for the bottle of Johnny Black Label, think again. A 40 year old man from Malaysia, Pee Chor Meng, was arrested by officials in Thailand for producing fake alcohol. He would buy cheap alcohol and re bottle them as Johnny Walker Black Label which would then be sold at higher price for a profit."
http://www.shameonyou.buzz/be-careful-w ... an-caught/
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HOW TO SPOT FAKE ALCOHOL:
The 4 Ps: (Product, Price, Packaging, Place).
1. Vodka is the most counterfeited spirit. Watch out for fake versions as well as brand names you have never heard of.
2. If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
3. Watch out for poor quality labelling including spelling mistakes and tampered bottles.
4. Buy from a reputable off-licence premise.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/cam ... alcohol#ps
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" . . . The Five Lakes vodka was found to contain 51.5 per cent alcohol — made by diluting pure industrial alcohol with tap water.
Another brand found on sale across the country called Drop Vodka contains CHLOROFORM.
In January, 21-year-old student Lauren Platts was left with damaged eyesight after being sold a £5.99 bottle of vodka that was really industrial alcohol in Sheffield.
Produced in illegal stills, the high-potency alcohol is made under conditions that ignore health and safety concerns, and with little way of knowing how strong each batch is.
Spirits sold by legitimate brands contain ethanol, while the illegal versions are full of methanol — the most basic form of alcohol, which is not legal for human consumption.
Even a small amount attacks the optic nerve at the back of the eye, causing blindness. In large quantities it can kill. But those who make the hooch run the risk of more than just the law catching up with them.
Last July, five people were killed when an illegal vodka-making factory went up in a fireball on an industrial estate in Boston, Lincs. Another man was seriously hurt."
https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/ ... of-poison/
