TBILISI, August 7 – Authorities in the country Georgia have arrested three people and opened criminal cases against four others for allegedly producing fake whisky and other alcoholic drinks for sale in shops and bars.
The Finance Ministry’s Investigation Service said Friday that the group had been making counterfeit alcohol in makeshift production facilities using spirits and special additives.
According to investigators, the drinks were passed off as well-known brands and sold with fake excise stamps in Georgia’s Adjara region, which includes the Black Sea city of Batumi.
Criminal proceedings have been launched against seven people in total, with three currently under arrest, Interpressnews reported.
Authorities said searches of the production sites and retail outlets uncovered counterfeit whisky and vodka, large quantities of used bottles from different brands, alcoholic liquid of unknown origin, fake excise stamps and equipment used to produce them.
Investigators are now trying to remove the remaining counterfeit alcohol from the retail network and identify any other people involved.
The suspect may face up to six years in prison if convicted.
