Armenia’s State Revenue Committee pulls 2,179 bottles of counterfeit vodka from 139 shops
Officers of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC) found 2,179 bottles of vodka bearing fake control stamps in 139 grocery stores in Yerevan and the regions and removed the entire batch from circulation.
The SRC, the country’s tax and customs authority, reported the findings. The vodka was sold below production cost and market prices. Officers also uncovered cases where the same control stamps were used multiple times.
The operation was carried out by the 3rd division of the SRC’s Inquiry and Operational Intelligence Department, which had received information that counterfeit, underpriced vodka was circulating in the shadow economy. The collected information is being analysed to establish all circumstances of the violations and everyone involved in the groups.
The SRC has sent 24 reports of suspected crimes to the Investigative Committee, which has opened criminal proceedings.
The committee urges alcohol producers to sell goods subject to excise stamping only through the procedure set by law. Resellers are advised not to buy or sell alcohol of unknown origin priced well below market levels and to always request invoices from suppliers.
Consumers are encouraged to compare prices for similar drinks before buying and to scan the control stamp with the E-MARK app to check that the product is authorised for sale.
