Men involved in fake alcohol production jailed

Several men involved in the production and sale of fake alcohol in the city were given a range of jail sentences by local courts Thursday.

One man, identified only by his surname, Qian, was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars for selling counterfeit labels and packaging materials for top baijiu (Chinese alcohol) brands Moutai, Wuliangye and Jian Nan Chun.

A police investigation discovered Qian producing the fake supplies at an old warehouse in Shanghai last year, when he was caught with a stash of 72,926 counterfeit labels and lids used to package illegally produced Chinese liquor from Guangzhou.

The court said his sentence was lenient, given that a majority of his fake alcohol products had not yet been sold. He was further fined 20,000 yuan ($3,170) for his crime.

A group of four other people, meanwhile, were also sentenced to prison for similar crimes Thursday. Their penalties ranged from six months to 18 months.

The group leader, a man surnamed He, in charge of operations, obtained the equipment needed to make the fake alcohol, including Rémy Martin cognac and Royal Salute whisky; the other members took care of production and distribution.

Local police were tipped off about the illegal operations by the International Federation of Spirits Producers, an organization dedicated to cracking down on fake alcohol.