The National Picture
Although the sale of illegal vodka rarely makes national headlines it is still an issue that commands national importance.
As a map compiled by behindtheheadlines, showing incidents and warnings relating to the sale of illegal vodka over the past 13 years, highlights, much of the United Kingdom has been affected by the trade in one way or another.
View Illegal Vodka UK and Ireland in a larger map
(vodka glasses indicate an incident relating to illegal vodka sale and distribution and ‘i’s represent a warning issued by local press)
Behindtheheadlines understands that the first reported incident of illegal vodka sale and manufacture occurred in Edinburgh in 1996 when trading standards officers sent out a warning to residents about this dangerous substance being on sale throughout the region. Since then local newspapers throughout the UK have been peppered with warnings and reports of sales of illegal vodka.
In 1997, for example, police in West Yorkshire seized 2,000 bottles of illegal vodka that was intended for sale across the country, between January and March 2001 customs officials seized over 7,000 of bootleg spirits in the North East alone. More recently, in Paisley, near Glasgow, 20 cases of fake vodka were seized in December of last year while in March of this year newspapers in Newcastle warned that millions of pounds worth of illegal vodka could be on sale throughout the region.
Illegal vodka has managed to make it onto the shelves of off-licences and pubs throughout the UK. In November 2000 reports warned that illegal vodka could be found on sale at Wembley market in London and in August 2003 a landlady in Liverpool was fined £2000 for selling fake Smirnoff sold to her by a gang targeting local pubs. In November 2004 a shop keeper in Bedminster, near Bristol, was fined thousands of pounds for the sale of fake Kirov and St Petersburg vodka.
Alarmingly, reports have surfaced linking the production and sale of illegal vodka to organised crime networks. A seizure of 4000 gallons found in South Yorkshire in 2003 sparked an investigation by MI5 who believed the Real IRA were behind the production.
But these incidents provide just a snapshot of the problem. As our map shows, the problem of production and sale spans a number of decades and affects most regions of the UK.
Behindtheheadlines now aim to understand just how a big a problem this national issue has become.
Olly Laughland
