POLICE in Guizhou Province have destroyed 7,488 bottles of fake Moutai, a famous Chinese liquor brand, local authorities said Wednesday.
The liquor had a total net weight of 3.7 tons, according to the public security bureau of Tongzi County.
Police seized an amount of fake Moutai in a local township in March 2016. Over the following year, they raided several fake Moutai workshops in cities and provinces such Beijing, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guizhou’s Guiyang and Renhuai, seizing a total of 7,488 bottles of fake Moutai.
Moutai is a sorghum-based spirit produced by Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd. and is China’s top brand of baijiu (white alcohol). The liquor, often served on official occasions and at state banquets, is considered a luxury item that has long been a popular gift.
Kweichow Moutai has raised the retail price of a 500ml bottle of 53-degree Feitian Moutai, its flagship product, to 1,499 yuan (US$231) this year from 1,299 yuan last year.
Due to short supply, some retailers charge even higher prices, prompting some to produce counterfeit Moutai for hefty illegal profits.