Spanish law enforcement agency the Guardia
Civil has seized over 21,000 bottles of fake rum worth over €316,000 in a
series of raids across the country. As
reported by Euro Weekly, the raids took place in Valencia, Cadiz,
Madrid, Castellon, Merida, Sevilla, Cordoba and Huelva, resulting in 21,000
bottles of the fake rum being seized. It was the culmination of an operation that began in
Chiclana de la Frontera (Cadiz), where police noticed a flood of rum sold as a
prestigious brand to a wholesaler but at rock bottom prices.
The Guardia Civil has made 14 arrests on charges of crimes against intellectual
property.
The
police were first alerted to the rum ring in Chiclana de la Frontera in Cadiz,
where they noticed a prestigious rum brand being sold on an industrial scale to
a wholesaler at rock bottom prices. The wholesaler then sold it on to
unsuspecting bars and restaurants at a discount. The counterfeit rum came from Valencia and
Castellon, where the Guardia Civil seized a large number of bottles and fake
documentation. Screen companies both in Spain and abroad were used in
what was a sophisticated scam. As well as selling the counterfeit drink, the
main importer also evaded paying IVA when importing the rum. Euro Weekly reports
that screen companies both in Spain and abroad were used in the sophisticated
scam in which the main importer also evaded paying IVA.
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