10,000 bottles of illegal liquor seized
Raids find that the alcohol was being sold in 110 outlets
Customs officers have raided two factories illegally producing Chinese liquor that retailed at 110 outlets across the city, the highest number involved in such a case.
Officers seized more than 10,000 bottles of liquor, worth $238,000, in raids in Tsuen Wan and Chai Wan on Thursday and yesterday.
Five men, aged between 29 and 72, were arrested and are out on bail.
Had the liquor been made legally, the factory owners would have had to pay $98,000 in taxes.
Customs launched the operation after liquor of unknown sources was found in markets.
Ko Kwok-cheung, divisional commander of customs' general investigation and support division, said the factories were not licensed to produce liquor and their hygiene standards were poor.
'Investigations showed the persons involved in the case imported spirits from the mainland and added ingredients such as snake [products], ginseng [and] Chinese medicines ... to produce different types of Chinese spirits,' Mr Ko said.
'[The suspects] also personally arranged sales to over 110 retail outlets on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories.'
Customs forwarded liquor samples to the government laboratory for analysis. The laboratory report found no toxic chemicals in the spirits.
The factories are owned by two companies. Officers arrested three company directors and two managers.
Investigations found that the factories allegedly sold some of their products to restaurants and wet markets across Hong Kong.
Officers confiscated 4,600 bottles of spirits, worth about $25,000, after searching the retail outlets.
Mr Ko said that since the outlets were unaware that the alcohol they bought was made illegally, retailers were not arrested for buying or selling the spirits.
