In a cunning counterfeit liquor scheme that recently unfolded in Zhejiang province, eastern China, authorities have seized a batch of fake Moutai, one of China’s most esteemed and expensive baijiu brands. The elaborate operation involved the meticulous siphoning of genuine Moutai liquor from bottles and replacing it with inferior quality alcohol. The Market Supervision Bureau in Zhejiang was alerted to the fraud by a local wine retail store, which harbored suspicions about 95 bottles of Moutai it had purchased from a Ningbo-based trading company. These bottles were collectively valued at a staggering 250,000 yuan (US$35,000).
The deceit was meticulously executed. The fraudsters drilled minuscule holes, just 0.2 mm in diameter, into the bottles. Before this, they had carefully removed the labels, proceeded with their drilling, and then resealed the holes with synthetic cement before reapplying the labels. This level of precision made the tampering virtually undetectable to the untrained eye. An official from the market bureau noted that even seasoned wine industry professionals would struggle to spot these alterations, let alone ordinary consumers.
The Ningbo trading company, under scrutiny, revealed that they had acquired the counterfeit liquor from hawkers falsely claiming to represent Kweichow Moutai, the original manufacturers. The ensuing police investigation in Ningbo led to the arrest of two suspects, and the case continues to be actively investigated.
Kweichow Moutai’s Feitian Maotai, with its 53% alcohol content, is a symbol of luxury in China, typically retailing for around 3,000 yuan (US$420) per 500ml bottle. The brand’s immense popularity has led to even empty Moutai bottles being highly sought after, fetching significant sums online. This high demand has also prompted Kweichow Moutai to diversify its reach. In recent years, the company has engaged in cross-sector marketing, partnering with ice cream companies and coffee makers to appeal to younger consumers. One such collaboration with Luckin Coffee brought forth the Jiangxiang Latte, which saw immense popularity upon its release.
To combat the persistent issue of counterfeiting, Kweichow Moutai has implemented several innovative measures. Notably, bottles designed to allow liquor to be poured out but not refilled were introduced in 1996. Additionally, each bottle is assigned a unique radio frequency identification code and individual serial numbers, further safeguarding against counterfeit operations. Despite these precautions, the recent scheme in Zhejiang underscores the ongoing challenge of protecting the integrity of luxury liquor brands in the face of sophisticated counterfeiting tactics.
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