14 retail pavilions and 5 million UAH worth of goods: Illegal vape sales uncovered in Poltava

  In Poltava, three individuals have been served notices of suspicion for the illegal sale of excisable goods. They were involved in the operation of a network consisting of 14 retail pavilions where illegally manufactured electronic cigarettes, liquids, and components for their production were sold without the necessary licensing and permit documentation. During the searches, products with a total value of approximately 5 million UAH were seized.

Detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Poltava region established that the suspects organized wholesale purchases of the goods and had them delivered from another city via courier services. Subsequently, they distributed the e-cigarettes and their components among the retail kiosks.

The products were sold without the appropriate licensing and permit documentation, excise tax stamps, or the issuance of fiscal receipts.

During authorized searches of the retail pavilions and storage sites, detectives seized nearly 1,200 disposable electronic cigarettes, over 1,300 bottles of finished e-cigarette liquids, around 400 sets of e-cigarette components, and nearly 30,000 bottles containing ingredients for liquid production, including glycerin, nicotine flavor boosters, and flavorings. Cash and mobile phones were also seized.

The total value of the products seized from illicit circulation is approximately 5 million UAH.

The two female organizers of the "business" and a man who carried out the sale of the illegal goods have been served notices of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal storage and sale of excisable goods, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy). The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

Operational support is provided by officers of the Strategic Investigations Department in the Poltava Region of the SID of Ukraine. Prosecutorial guidance is provided by the Poltava Regional Prosecutor's Office.

Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven through legal procedures and established by a court's verdict of conviction.