DIJON (France), Oct 16 — French and Italian police have broken up a wine fraud network operating between both countries that made two million euros (RM9.3 million) selling wine with fake labels, French prosecutors said yesterday.

The labels, which the criminals had especially printed, falsely claimed that the bottles contained fine wines from France, prosecutors in the eastern city of Dijon said.

Buyers of the wines thought they were purchasing rare bottles valued at up to 15,000 euros each on the international market.

A French national has been charged with organised fraud and money laundering, they said.

The suspected head of the gang, a Russian, was to be brought before a judge with a view to charging him as well, Dijon chief prosecutor Olivier Caracotch said.

The Russian, 40, had previously been convicted on similar charges but under a different name.

He was apprehended at Milan’s Malpensa airport during a transaction involving a printer.

French prosecutors said the arrests were the result of close cooperation with Italian authorities, notably the Turin and Milan anti-counterfeit police units.

Several police raids were carried out in the regions of Turin, Milan and Paris. Six arrest European warrants were issued and fake merchandise with a sale value of two million euros seized. — AFP