Dram fine lawyers…

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said authentic brands are losing millions of pounds in revenue each year to fakes.

Kenny Gray, senior legal counsel at the SWA, said hundreds of reports are under investigation and that breaches from Russia and Ukraine have been increasing.

Mr Gray was part of a group that visited Kiev this month for a seminar by Interpol on the black market in illicit goods.

“It’s a full-time job but that’s an indication of how successful the Scotch whisky brand is,” he said.

“Every fake bottle of Scotch sold in the market is a sale of genuine Scotch lost, and organised criminal enterprises will attempt to secure the market rate.”

He added: “For example, in Russia we saw a threefold increase in trademark activity from 2015-16 but generally static figures in more mature markets such as France and South Africa. “

Last November, a Chinese tourist paid £8,000 for a dram of 1878 Macallan at a Swiss hotel – which turned out to be fake.