Several European authorities have uncovered a group involved in counterfeiting French wine in Italy. The investigation was led by the French Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale). It involved the Italian Carabinieri Corps (NAS Carabinieri) and Swiss Federal Police (Police Federale Swiss) with support from Europol and Eurojust.
Suspected criminals faked French red wine, charging up to €15,000 ($16,300) per bottle. The counterfeit wine was forged in Italy, then delivered to an Italian airport and exported for sale at market value worldwide by honest wine traders. The operation led to six arrests and 16 searches in Paris, Turin, and Milan.
Seizures included wine bottles from different counterfeited Grand Cru domains, wine stickers and wax products, ingredients to refill wine, machines to recap bottles, and documents relevant to the investigation. By working with printing houses in Italy, the group recreated the corks and labels of famous French wineries. According to authorities, selling counterfeit wine generated profits of more than €2 million ($2.
2 million). An investigation started after suspicions of forgery reached French authorities, who discovered that the group had been operating from Italy. Europol supported the investigation since 2021, coordinating operational activities, facilitating the exchange of information, and providing analytical support.
Connection to the previous incident In late September, in the provinces of Turin, Monza, Cuneo, Rome, and Bologna, the N.
