The European bodies Eurojust and Europol assisted judicial and law enforcement authorities in France, Italy, Germany, Cyprus and the Netherlands in a joint operation to dismantle an international network involved in the forgery and smuggling of one of the most expensive French wine brands, Romanée-Conti. A bottle of the 2009 vintage sells for up to EUR 9 500 (£9,000).
The investigation began in France in December 2012 after complaints by companies and was carried out jointly by the French Gendarmerie (Section de Recherches of Dijon) and the Central Office for the fight against environmental damage and for public health (OCLAESP). The identified victims were companies in France and Italy.
The judicial and law enforcement authorities of Italy, Germany, Cyprus and the Netherlands were involved in executing letters of request submitted by France. The first transactions involving counterfeit wine took place in Italy, and links to Russia, Hong Kong, Belize and Switzerland were identified through involved actors, companies and bank accounts.
The main focus of the action day was in Italy.
