Malaysian ‘king’ of fake alcohol arrested in Bangkok with empty bottles, labels, fake stamps in car

via Thai Police Facebook
via Thai Police Facebook

A prolific-but-elusive alleged bootleg liquor producer, aptly referred to as “David, king of fake liquor,” was arrested in Bangkok by Thai authorities earlier this week.

The 63-year-old Malaysian suspect was apprehended in the car park of a shopping center in the Bang Kapi District of the city at 2:30pm on Monday.

https://www.facebook.com/1155TPB/posts/959675821066520

According to authorities he was caught in the act, allegedly delivering “whisky” to a customer at the mall. Inside his car, police found several incriminating items such as empty bottles, corks, caps, various stickers and labels of well-known brands, and fake duty stamps.

In total, police seized 26 bottles of fake Johnnie Walker, 100 empty bottles labelled Johnnie Walker, 132 screw tops with foreign whisky brand names, 252 fake duty stamps, labels for Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal whisky and Bin 389 wine.

David landed himself on police radar after a package shipped to Suvarnabhumi Airport earlier this month bearing his real name, Chan Fat Yat, as the recipient was intercepted by authorities. Inside, equipment to produce alcohol was found, as well as bottles, labels, and various stickers.

Following his arrest, the suspect is said to have admitted to police that he had been producing fake booze for over 30 years. He is currently being held on charges of producing bootleg booze, falsifying labels, and overstaying his visa in the kingdom.

The consumption of fake alcohol can have very adverse effects and symptoms that include, but are not limited to, stomach ache, breathing difficulties, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, severe headache, and cramps.

Worried you might be buying fake alcohol? Well, here’s a few tips. First, buy from a trusted shop. That tiny corner shop purporting to sell single-malt whisky next to dodgy Ray-Bans is probably not worth the risk.

Same goes for inexplicably cheap alcohol. No self-respecting Johnnie Walker Blue retails for US$10.

Finally, make sure booze looks and smells consistent with what you’ve had previously, and check the packaging is in order – with correct spelling, no wrinkled labels (a sign of re-bottling), protective seals, and the appropriate bar codes, etc.

 



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