Wine is one of the world's oldest luxury products; a product that has been in continual demand. Because of its allure, it has been a target for fraudsters of all kinds. Some sources suggest that between 10-20 percent of all wine has been tampered with.

The sale of counterfeit drugs is lucrative for criminal groups and can, according to reports, be more profitable in certain areas than the trade in hard drugs. At the same time, the risk of being prosecuted is small because it is difficult to trace the goods back through complex supply chains.