Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fake Liquor @ Malaysia

We really should stop pointing fingers at others and take a good look in the mirror at ourselves.
This 'problem' unearthed by Starprobe below,is not something shockingly new.
In fact it has been prevalent since the term Happy Hours gained a foothold on the masses 3 decades back.
The counterfeiters are locals.
Plain and simple as that.
If the goods come from other countries,then we bloody hell imported our bootleg knowledge there and started employing the foreigners as frontliners.
That is the number one reason why China has started removing our nitrite tainted birds nests from their shelves.

It's hard to find a nightspot operator who will refuse the bait of original liquor at duty free or smuggled prices.
Yet I find the probe rather flawed,by taking the word of one that nightspot operators knowingly buy counterfeit products to jack up profits.
Operations fold up because,they thought the trade was profitable but it turned out to be a constant cost juggling headache of trying to make ends meet.
On top of that,Malaysian customers are extremely fickle,one minute we stick like flies to this place,two years later we get bored,abandon it and head to newest venues.

Then there are two kinds of bartenders.
1.The blur types : counterfeiters pounce in on them at a quiet time before opening or after closing hours on the pretext of helping them dispose of their empty liquor bottles.
2.Those in the know : get paid for the trash

The best solution to solve part of the problem:
1.Destroy empty bottles even if you consumed it at home
2.Monitor the bottle collectors to find out who their buyers are.


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Smells Like Cheap Spirits (The Star 13.10.2011)

Beware Of Counterfeit Liquor The Next Time You Order A Bottle

Kuala Lumpur : The next time you order a bottle from the bartender,be wary of counterfeit liquor.
It may not be noticeable to the naked eye and you may be drinking adulterated or fake alcohol.
Regular consumption can lead to severe liver damage,sudden blindness,even death.
Pubgoers should treat this seriously as Malaysia is ranked among the top five countries affected by counterfeit spirits or liquor.
The most commonly counterfeited spirits are Scotch whisky and cognac,both of which command about 80% of alcohol sales in the country.
Counterfeit spirits take up about 10% to 15% of the market for certain popular brands.
Fake liquors are said to be circulating in Chinese medicinal halls and nightspots in Jalan Kuchai Lama,Kepong,Sunway Mentari,Jinjang and Desa Petaling.Penang,Perak and Johor are also not spared.
According to sources,unscrupulous nightspot operators were the biggest culprits in the chase for big profits.
"They will set up shop for one or two years and then close down and relocate elsewhere"said one source.
The usual retail price for one particular brand is about RM148.Checks showed that the fake versions of this brand was available to retailers at between RM60 and RM80.
A genuine bottle of the liquor is sold at between RM250 and RM300 at nightspots,with fake versions going for below RM200.
Another common tactic is to add adulterated branded liquor.
"When a customer buys the first bottle,the genuine product is sold."
"When the second bottle is ordered,the fake version is given because chances are after you've consumed so much liquor you wouldn't know the difference"said a source.
According to a source,cheap scotch smuggled into Malaysia was filled into branded liquor bottles which were then re-labelled.
To counter this problem,certain popular brands have a random numerical code on the cap that corresponds with one etched on the bottle.
According to a nightspot manager,outlets in Europe countered this by breaking the heads of empty bottles to prevent counterfeiters from reusing them