The National Republican Guard (GNR) seized more than seven thousand liters of alcohol and alcoholic beverages on Tuesday in the municipality of Armamar.
In a statement released this Thursday, the authority stated that the seizure was conducted “in close collaboration with the Institute of Douro and Port Wines (IVDP)” and that the alcohol was produced and introduced into the “national territory irregularly.”
An “inspection and control operation aimed at detecting infractions related to the production, storage, and commercialization of products subject to special consumption taxes” led to the seizure of 100 liters of alcohol, 6,907 liters of fortified wine, and 495 liters of brandy at the facilities of a winery owned by an Agricultural Society. A 61-year-old man was also identified.
According to the GNR, “these products were stored in plastic tanks and wooden barrels in facilities that were not legally established as an authorized tax warehouse for their production, storage, and preservation.”
If sold, the beverages and alcohol could have been worth 48,000 euros, resulting in a potential loss to the Portuguese State of approximately 10,500 euros in special consumption tax revenue.
The authority emphasized in the note that “the described facts constitute a customs offense for irregular introduction into consumption, under the current tax legislation, in conjunction with an offense for non-compliance with the legal discipline applicable to wine production.”
