A lot of the bottles had been empty, however some had been stuffed with what prosecutors referred to as “supposed” cola. Investigators additionally discovered hoses, pumps, bottle washing amenities and new bottle caps, suggesting that criminals had been making their very own Coke.
In addition they discovered stolen supply vans, suggesting the gang had been distributing the drinks.
“Info got here to mild that this property was presumably getting used to fabricate gentle drinks with comparable traits to a well-known cola model,” stated prosecution spokesperson Ulises Lara.
Lara stated brokers discovered crates containing about 780 full bottles, and nearly 20,000 empty bottles “able to be refilled.” It was not clear if any of the so-called “Mexican Coke,” prized for its cane sugar and glass bottles, had made it to the export market.
Mexico’s Coca-Cola FEMSA, which describes itself as “the most important Coca-Cola franchise bottler on the earth by gross sales quantity,” didn’t instantly reply to an emailed request for touch upon the raid.
The raid comes lower than two weeks after the U.S. commerce consultant launched a damning report saying Mexico’s intellectual-property and anti-counterfeiting actions — already weak — have gotten weaker in recent times.
“The prevalence of counterfeit items at infamous bodily marketplaces stays a major drawback, exacerbated by the involvement of transnational felony organizations,” in keeping with the report, launched April 26.
The report stated that Mexican authorities used to raid such markets however that “this enforcement exercise seems to have ceased in recent times.”
”Legal investigations and prosecutions for trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy seems to be non-existent,” the report stated.
For many years, Mexico has had an issue with counterfeiters falsifying every little thing from name-brand blue denims and sneakers, to prescription drugs. U.S. authorities often subject alerts about counterfeit capsules which might be cleverly disguised to appear to be the true factor.
