Forty cases of smuggled California wine seized from boat in Mae Sot

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Forty cases of smuggled California wine seized from boat in Mae Sot

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook reported that military men from a Region 14 drugs unit had found forty boxes of smuggled wine worth 600,000 baht (pretax). 

 

The Robert Mondavi 2015 vintage was on a boat on the Moei River in Tha Sai Luat sub-district in the north western Thai province of Tak near the Myanmar border. 

 

A two meter wide, 12 meter long boat was also confiscated and handed over to customs for investigation. 

 

The wine comes from the Napa Valley in California. 

 

There were no reports of any arrests in the Sanook story. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

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[ezzra]

I'm betting my 10 million dollars i have on me right now that these are not really, or even close to be a "California wine"...

[xylophone]

40 minutes ago, ezzra said:

I'm betting my 10 million dollars i have on me right now that these are not really, or even close to be a "California wine"...

But they would have had to sample it to find out for themselves!!

[Katipo]

That's not even a drop in the barrel. All types of alcohol, especially the high end stuff, is much cheaper in Myanmar than Thailand. Couple that with a border that's as porous as a sieve, and you don't need to be a genius to see how lucrative a business this could be.

[visarunner]

 

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'm betting my 10 million dollars i have on me right now that these are not really, or even close to be a "California wine"...

The article refer to Robert Mondavi Napa Valley, this stuff is around THB 2,500 per bottle in BKK. 40 cases x 12 bottles= 480 bottles. Pretax value THB 600,000 is pretty close. Most likely to be sold in the grey market for appr THB 1,600 per bottle. Someone lost a pretty decent amount of money on that one. 

[Guest Jerry787]

where they come from Myanmar or Laos ? 

[Isaan sailor]

Got busted with Mondavi at Swampy last year.  Customs took six bottles, let me keep six.  Not a bad deal.  They told me although law says 1 litre limit—they will normally allow 3 bottles of wine.

Of course this can all change in a heartbeat...

[ratcatcher]

1 hour ago, Jerry787 said:

where they come from Myanmar or Laos ? 

Mae Sot is on the Burmese border, so probably Myanmar.