An investigation has exposed a massive criminal network producing and selling counterfeit premium baijiu, with sales exceeding 260 million yuan. The operation spanned production, bottling, transportation, and livestream sales.
In livestream shopping sessions on various platforms, "aged liquor" sales are booming. However, many so-called vintage bottles are deceptive. Authorities, alongside market regulators, dismantled a network that distributed fake products nationwide.
One consumer purchased a case of "Wuliangye Aged Liquor" for just 168 yuan after seeing it promoted in a livestream. Upon delivery, he noticed discrepancies: the shipment originated from Shanxi province, not Sichuan, Wuliangye's authentic production base. Closer inspection revealed the brand name on the bottle was "Wuliangye," using a visually similar character to mislead buyers. The counterfeit liquor was traced to an illegal production site in Shanxi's Wenshui County.
On November 5, 2025, a coordinated raid by authorities from Sichuan and Shanxi targeted multiple locations. At the production site, dozens of storage tanks and a dilapidated bottling line were found, with a strong, unpleasant odor. Thousands of cases of finished counterfeit liquor, including fake versions of brands like Jiannanchun and Luzhou Laojiao Tequ, were stacked in yards. A printing workshop contained templates for fake labels and ingredient lists. The operation resulted in the seizure of over 19,000 cases of counterfeit baijiu and 55 pieces of manufacturing equipment.
The illicit operation, which ran from March 2024 to October 2025, had no production license. It purchased 2,912.75 tons of edible alcohol, which was blended and bottled. The caps were artificially rusted, and packaging was aged to falsify production dates and origins. These fake "premium aged" bottles were then sold across more than 20 provinces.
The scheme employed several tactics to deceive consumers. First, it used brand names with similar-looking characters to imitate legitimate products like Wuliangye and Jiannanchun, constituting trademark infringement. Second, it focused on counterfeiting older liquor varieties, as they are easier to replicate than newer bottles with advanced anti-counterfeiting features. Furthermore, the design patents for many older bottle designs had expired, potentially reducing penalties for the counterfeiters.
Livestreams utilized aggressive marketing, including emotional slogans and false scarcity tactics like "limited to 50 orders." Sellers avoided directly naming major brands, using codenames like "Old Wuliang" instead to evade platform detection. The low per-bottle cost also played a role; with a wholesale price of around 48 yuan per case, counterfeiters sold them for 168 yuan or more, achieving markups over 250%. Many consumers, finding the product subpar, chose not to seek refunds due to the hassle and cost, allowing the scheme to profit.
Experts highlight the challenges of online enforcement, as production, sales, and logistics are often geographically separated. They recommend stronger inter-departmental collaboration and the use of big data and AI for better monitoring. Legal professionals advise establishing full-chain accountability for counterfeiters and raising public awareness through published case studies. Consumers are urged to be skeptical of deep discounts and "aged liquor" claims in livestreams and to report suspicious activities to platforms or authorities.
Comments