Shanghai police have arrested and detained six gang members that have allegedly been mass producing fake famous baijiu brands.
During the raid the police found thousands of bottles of fake Moutai baijiu as well as other popular brands such as Wuliangye, Jiannanchun and Yanghe blue classic. If the seizure had of been real baijiu it would have been worth over 10 million yuan.
Suspicion grew last October when police were alerted after a person in a residential complex was receiving many parcels a week, the parcels contained empty bottles and cases of famous baijiu brands.
Police arrested a Mr Hu, who has been arrested in the past for selling fake baijiu, Mr Hu rented two residential properties along with his relative in which to produce the fake baijiu.
The duo bought materials online to produce the fake baijiu and police have uncovered paperwork that shows the suspects had sold batches of the fake baijiu to wholesalers and wine dealers in both the Songjiang and Qingpu districts.
Mr Hu purchased identification chips for the fake Moutai brands which are scanned by customers to prove the authenticity of the product.
The two suspects bought cheap baijiu or recycled wine from grocery stores and filled the expensive blank baijiu brand bottles thus fooling buyers into thinking they were selling premium expensive baijiu. The suspects are yet to be sentenced.