HMRC Busts Massive Fake Vodka Factory Near Lichfield
HMRC raided a commercial site near Lichfield on February 1 and uncovered a huge stash of counterfeit vodka and bottling gear. The illicit setup was geared to dodge a staggering £2.5 million in excise duty every year.
Fake Krackoff Vodka & Production Gear Seized
Officers hauled away hundreds of bottles of fake Krackoff vodka and seized tanks capable of holding 7,000 litres of liquid. The full haul included:
- 241 full five-litre containers of ethanol
- 423 filled 70cl bottles of counterfeit Krackoff Triple Distilled Vodka
- 9,030 empty 70cl bottles
- 112 boxes of bottle tops
- 9 Intermediate 1,000 litre Bulk Containers (IBCs), three containing ethanol
- 1,284 empty five-litre ethanol containers
HMRC Cracks Down on Dangerous Tax Fraud
“The sale of illegal alcohol will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies,” said Judith Rockett, Assistant Director at HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service. “Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clamp down on the illicit alcohol market which costs the UK around £1 billion per year. This is theft from the taxpayer. This crime hurts legitimate businesses and the people that buy the often-dangerous products.”
Rockett urged anyone with tax fraud info to contact HMRC online.
Trading Standards Warn of Fake Booze Dangers
Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards chief, said:
“Fake and illegal alcohol can be extremely harmful to people’s health and can cause lifelong disabilities. It’s something that our Trading Standards service take very seriously and work hard with partner agencies to tackle. Our officers make regular visits to retailers and off-licenses to make sure these dangerous items are not on sale. Anyone with concerns or info on fake booze should call our confidential Fight the Fakes hotline on 01785 330356.”
The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet. HMRC continues to collaborate closely with Trading Standards in the crackdown.
