Six Arrested for Selling Counterfeit French Wine for $16,000 Apiece
Six individuals have been apprehended as part of an investigation into a major wine fraud scheme. Italian authorities conducted searches at 14 locations, confiscating substantial quantities of wine, wine bottles, counterfeit labels from renowned French vineyards, and machinery used for resealing bottles. Police also seized electronic devices valued at €1.4 million (approximately $1.5 million) and over €100,000 (around $109,000) in cash. The counterfeit wine was produced in Italy, transported to an Italian airport, and then exported for sale at market prices globally by legitimate wine merchants. French prosecutors announced that a 40-year-old Russian man, previously convicted for his involvement in a similar wine fraud under an alternate identity, is now connected to the ongoing investigation. A judge in Dijon, France, has charged a French citizen with fraud and money laundering, while the Russian suspect is expected to face the same judge for potential indictment. This investigation was spearheaded by the French Gendarmerie, with assistance from Italy’s Carabinieri and the Swiss Federal Police.
