Illegal vodka bottling plant uncovered

AN ILLEGAL bottling plant uncovered by customs and gardaí was capable of producing about 50,000 bottles of vodka a year.

A customs spokesman said the hygiene conditions in the plant were “appalling” and the vodka posed a “real risk” to consumers.

The huge factory, located in Dublin’s north inner city, was raided at the weekend by customs officers from Dublin Port and officers from the Bridewell Garda Station.

They found a total of 257 drums of alcohol. The alcohol, described as “detergent”, was contained in five-litre, plastic drums.

Officers believe that the alcohol was pure and had the potential to make up to 4,500 litres of counterfeit vodka.

A customs spokesman said the plant would have been capable of producing about 48,000 70cl bottles of vodka a year. He said this would have resulted in a loss of revenue to the state in the region of €600,000 a year. The plant included bulk water containers, labels, caps, boxes and a filtering system. The labels were for a well-known vodka brand.

A customs spokesman said: “The caps on the bottles were not capable of being sealed, which clearly indicates the counterfeit vodka was destined for sale to unscrupulous traders.”

He said that aside from the loss of revenue, a feature of the illegal operation was the lack of any kind of quality or health controls.

“We are appalled by the unhygienic conditions and the way stagnant water was going to be used. There was a real risk to the health of unsuspecting consumers.”

He said an investigation into the origin of the alcohol was continuing.