Authorities in Thailand have busted a smuggling ring that have illegally funneled in 980 cases of wines including top Napa reds from Opus One and Robert Mondavi, according to Thai customs.
In a statement put on its website on August 3, Thai Customs said they seized 980 cases of smuggled wines worth more than 18 million baht (US$580,000).
Although Thai authorities did not release names of the smuggled wines but based on images released by the department, they showed wines from Opus One and Robert Mondavi.
Wine smuggling in Thailand is not uncommon as the southeast Asia country has hefty taxes on imported wines. Wines from Europe and the US are more heavily taxed for close to 400% taxes.
Australian and New Zealand enjoy relatively lower tax rates at around 300%, given their Free Trade Agreements with Thailand.
Lower the tax rate and you will see less smuggling.