It has been reported in The Straits Times and by The Drinks Business that counterfeiters in China have been drilling 0.2mm holes in genuine bottles of moutai in order to fill them with knock-off liquor. After the bottles have been refilled, the holes are sealed with porcelain powder.
In a recent WeChat post, the Hangzhou Gongshu Market Superintend Management Bureau reported that small pin-sized holes were found hidden behind the labels on Kweichow Flying Fairy Moutai bottles (one of the most famous liquors in China) following a report from a local merchant who suspected that the bottles he had purchased from a door-to-door salesman were not genuine. When asked to appraise the products, the Kweichow distillery confirmed that 76 of the 95 bottles in question contained counterfeit liquor, and the value of all 95 bottles is approximately £27,500.
Police in Ningbo have arrested two suspects and report that investigations are ongoing, but new techniques such as this using professional equipment and genuine packaging will seemingly make it even more difficult to spot counterfeits.
The appraisers from the distillery told China Consumer News that the counterfeiters first removed the labels before using professional equipment to drill a 0.2mm hole.
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