Photo/Shetuwang

Dec. 18 (NBD) -- A police investigation in Suzhou, conducted following a consumer complaint, revealed that the Hennessy-branded spirits the consumer bought on China's social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo is counterfeit, according to a Weibo post released Tuesday by Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation's Litchi News. 

At least 2,000 bottles of Hennessy cognac may have flown to the market in this case, an obligee of the Hennessy brand told Litchi News. The police has confirmed the case involved a large sum of money. 

In response, a person-in-charge with Pinduoduo's platform governance unit said Wednesday that it previously found the store involved was selling counterfeit wine and shut down the store after confirming with brand owners.  

Before its forced closure, the merchant had sold five bottles of Hennessy but two were refunded. Pinduoduo froze around 5,258 yuan (751 U.S. dollars) of the store's capital, and about 5,058 yuan was used to pay for the wine identification. 

Email: gaohan@nbd.com.cn