Fake beer passed off as Heineken, Amstel around the Netherlands

The Tax authorities' investigative department FIOD caught three suspects selling brand-less beer as Heineken and Amstel. Eight businesses in Nijkerk, Putten, Rotterdam, Heusden and Linne were raided on Wednesday. So far no arrests were made, RTL Nieuws reports.

According to FIOD, the suspects bought brand-less beer from abroad, poured it into beer bottles and labeled them with Heineken and Amstel logos. They then sold them at higher prices.

Several Dutch companies fell victim to this fraud. The investigation is still ongoing.

The suspects are a 64-year-old man from Putten and a man and woman from Nijkerk, aged 52 and 44 years respectively. FIOD officers seized digital and paper administration and a number of beer caps during the raids.

There is no reason to believe that the involved beer posed a risk to food safety, according to FIOD.