Bootlegger dubbed 'king of fake booze' arrested after supplying moonshine to Thai bars for 30 years
- 4 years ago
A bootlegger nicknamed 'Dave the king of fake booze' was arrested after allegedly producing moonshine for Thai bars for three decades.
Chan Fat Yat, 63, was caught on Tuesday (November 19) after cops intercepted a delivery of loaded with hundreds of bottles, caps and fake labels.
The shipment to his home in Bangkok allegedly included homemade bottles of Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal along with Bin wine. There were also hundreds of empty glass bottles and new labels ready to be stuck on.
Officers quizzed Chan - who was known to his western clients as 'Dave' - and he reportedly confessed that he had been brewing the fake booze for the last three years to sell to customers at bars and nightclubs around Thailand.
The liquor was so realistic that customers nicknamed him 'Dave the king of fake booze'.
However, police were furious that it could have given tourists the impression that drinks on their Thai holiday were low quality.
Police Lieutenant General Chettha Komolwattana said: "David's behaviour negatively affected the country's reputation because a lot of tourists will have come to Thailand and drank this low-quality alcohol.''
Lieutenant General Komolwattana said cops intercepted the parcel on Monday (November 18) then waited in a car park on Tuesday afternoon.
Chan was then arrested while he met a client at a shopping mall where he was handing over the bootlegged booze. They seized several crates of counterfeit alcohol along with copied packaging and bottle tops.
Lieutenant General Komolwattana said that Chan, originally from Malaysia, had been running the illegal business for more than 30 years.
He was known as 'Dave, the king of fake booze' and supplied nightclubs and bars. Police said this damaged the reputation of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Lieutenant General Komolwattana added: "The suspect had been doing his illegal business for more than 30 years under the name of David. His visa had expired many years ago.''
The police already initiated the legal action against the suspect and he was remanded in custody.
Chan Fat Yat, 63, was caught on Tuesday (November 19) after cops intercepted a delivery of loaded with hundreds of bottles, caps and fake labels.
The shipment to his home in Bangkok allegedly included homemade bottles of Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal along with Bin wine. There were also hundreds of empty glass bottles and new labels ready to be stuck on.
Officers quizzed Chan - who was known to his western clients as 'Dave' - and he reportedly confessed that he had been brewing the fake booze for the last three years to sell to customers at bars and nightclubs around Thailand.
The liquor was so realistic that customers nicknamed him 'Dave the king of fake booze'.
However, police were furious that it could have given tourists the impression that drinks on their Thai holiday were low quality.
Police Lieutenant General Chettha Komolwattana said: "David's behaviour negatively affected the country's reputation because a lot of tourists will have come to Thailand and drank this low-quality alcohol.''
Lieutenant General Komolwattana said cops intercepted the parcel on Monday (November 18) then waited in a car park on Tuesday afternoon.
Chan was then arrested while he met a client at a shopping mall where he was handing over the bootlegged booze. They seized several crates of counterfeit alcohol along with copied packaging and bottle tops.
Lieutenant General Komolwattana said that Chan, originally from Malaysia, had been running the illegal business for more than 30 years.
He was known as 'Dave, the king of fake booze' and supplied nightclubs and bars. Police said this damaged the reputation of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Lieutenant General Komolwattana added: "The suspect had been doing his illegal business for more than 30 years under the name of David. His visa had expired many years ago.''
The police already initiated the legal action against the suspect and he was remanded in custody.