A 34-year-old man has been arrested in Essex as part of an investigation into the alleged sale of counterfeit wine worth more than £500,000, in the latest operation targeting serious fraud
in Britain’s food and drink supply chain.
Officers from the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), working with the Metropolitan Police, attended an address in Essex on 20 August. The man was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation in connection with the alleged supply of fake wine. He has since been released on bail while the investigation continues.
The investigation centres on a sale involving 55 bottles of suspected counterfeit wine, which were allegedly sold to an unsuspecting buyer for almost £10,000 per bottle. The total value of the transaction exceeded £500,000.
Authorities have not publicly identified the wines, their purported producers or the brands involved, and have not disclosed how the suspected counterfeiting was carried out. The FSA has described the products as suspected counterfeit wine, meaning the allegations remain under investigation and no finding of criminal liability has been made against the arrested man.
Simon Ashwin, Senior Investigator at the FSA’s NFCU said: “There’s no excuse for this type of food crime. People expect to get what they pay for, not a possible fake bottle of wine.
“Food fraud is not a victimless offence. It can cause significant financial and reputational harm to legitimate businesses who fall victim to fraudsters.
“We encourage businesses to check their suppliers and do their due diligence to help ensure the products they buy are legitimate. We continue to work with police and partners to help prevent food crime and track down food fraudsters, so businesses and consumers are protected.”
Part of a wider crackdown on food fraud
The case comes only months after another major NFCU investigation uncovered a much larger suspected counterfeit wine operation.
In March, investigators seized more than 67,000 bottles of wine and prosecco from 90 pallets stored at three warehouses in north London and Essex. The stock had an estimated retail value of about £500,000. A 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud in connection with the alleged importation and distribution of counterfeit and misrepresented wine and prosecco. He was subsequently released under investigation.
That operation involved the Metropolitan Police, its North Regional Organised Crime Unit Gangs Partnership and Safer Neighbourhood Team, Enfield Local Authority and Trading Standards, Epping Forest District Council, Essex Trading Standards and the FSA's Wine Inspection Team.
The FSA said at the time there was no indication of a health risk to the public from the seized products, while stressing that the central concern was the authenticity and quality of what consumers were being sold.
The two cases are separate investigations, but together they highlight the continuing attention being given by UK authorities to fraudulent activity in the wine trade.
What counts as food crime?
The NFCU defines food crime as serious fraud and related criminality within food supply chains. Its remit covers not only food but also drink and animal feed.
The agency identifies seven broad categories of food crime, including misrepresentation, adulteration, substitution, document fraud, theft, illegal processing and waste diversion. Misrepresentation can involve misleading consumers about a product's nature, origin, quality or composition.
Counterfeit wine can therefore involve more than simply selling a cheap bottle at an inflated price. Fraud may involve falsely representing the provenance, producer, vintage, quality or authenticity of a product in order to obtain a financial gain.
The FSA says food fraud is deliberately placing food on the market for financial gain with the intention of deceiving consumers. Such offences can range from individual acts of dishonesty to sophisticated criminal activity involving organised networks.
The NFCU was established in 2015 following the review of the 2013 horsemeat scandal and acts as the FSA's dedicated law-enforcement function for serious food crime. It provides leadership on food crime across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and works with police forces, trading standards authorities and other partners.
