Officers raided the site, which sits outside Moscow, reportedly discovering thousands of bottles of the Black Label and other whisky, rum and cognac brands, all deemed unsafe to drink by the authorities. 

Russia’s Interior Ministry published a video of an officer inspecting a bottle of the counterfeit Johnnie Walker which contained black oily bubbles. 

Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine hit imports, there has since been a boom in the production of both legal and illegal whisky in Russia. 

Tatyana Petrova, head of the Interior Ministry press office for the area, told The Herald: “Officers during an inspection found and seized more than 3000 bottles of alcohol and two tonnes of spirit, as well as accessories and empty bottles with labels from well-known brands.”

Petrova added that the factory was bottling and not distilling spirits.

Two workers were found at the scene and taken into custody and a 29-year-old Russian was also arrested on suspicion of organising the production. 

Diageo, owner of Johnnie Walker, stopped exports to Russia last year and has decreased its presence in the country following its invasion of Ukraine.