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Contraband and counterfeit wines/ Millions of euros in damage to the budget and a health risk

2026-04-28 16:14:00, Denoncim CNA

Contraband and counterfeit wines/ Millions of euros in damage to the budget and

For several days now, CNA has been reporting about a scandal that accuses three institutions: Customs, Taxes, and the National Institute of Labor.

A problem that has been identified, but is not being solved by these institutions that are either incompetent or corrupt.

Contraband and fake wines accuse these institutions, not only for the millions of euros missing from the budget, but as an alarm for the danger to the lives of citizens, since the origin of most of them is unknown. The cellars of Turkey, the south of Italy or the Kombinat area in Tirana have filled the markets with fake wines and beyond any control.

In our investigation, we were able to discover that in several shops and restaurants in the center of Tirana, wines are sold without fiscal stamps and without certainty about their content and origin.

There are significant quantities of premium wines circulating, presented as very well-known French and Italian brands such as Petrus, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto and Romanée-Conti, despite their very limited production. Their prices are quite high, but in fact it is not known what they have inside when they are without a controlled origin, from the producer to the distributor. The same situation is with strong alcoholic beverages and many other everyday consumer products.

 

How smuggling works

These products, according to verified data, enter Albania through unofficial channels, from the Port of Durrës, Vlora, Shkodra, as well as by land from Qafë-Thana, Kakavija, etc. All these smuggled and counterfeit quantities evade fiscal controls and their origin is unknown.

The wines are then sold at lower prices to entice the consumer, but without a fiscal stamp and without a guarantee of authenticity. There is a risk that these products are counterfeit and uncertified, endangering both the consumer and the official market. Consequences for health, damage to the budget, but also disruption of competition in the market.

In addition to potential commercial fraud, this situation also constitutes a legal violation and illegal trafficking of products.

 

ATTENTION!

Only products with a fiscal stamp and an official distributor or accompanied by a fiscal document show that the consumer is buying a certified product, because this shows the true origin of the manufacturer and authorized distributor. Products without a fiscal stamp and controlled origin, guaranteed by the distributor, may simply be bottles filled in basements and it is not known what dangerous contents they may have inside the bottle.

Hidden shops, restaurants and warehouses selling such products are found in Tirana in some areas or in luxury complexes, in Vlora in some warehouses, in Durrës and Shkodra, etc. In other cities, smaller quantities are circulated by the distributors of these smugglers or counterfeiters.

There are thousands of bottles circulating on the market and customs don't look at them, taxes don't look at them, because customs and tax officials usually drink them themselves at the tables, and neither do AKU inspectors look at them when they check./ CNA





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